5 killed in fresh violence in Manipur’s Jiribam following rocker attacks

Five people were shot dead in a fresh wave of violence in restive northeastern Indian state Manipur's Jiribam district today.

One person was shot dead in his sleep, while four armed individuals were killed in a subsequent gun battle, our New Delhi correspondent reports quoting police.

The victim, who lived alone in an isolated area about 5 kilometers from the district headquarters, was attacked by militants who stormed his house and shot him when he was sleeping.

Following the killing, a heavy exchange of gunfire erupted between armed members of the warring communities in the hills, approximately 7 kilometers from the district headquarters.

Four armed individuals, including three militants from hill-based groups, were killed in the clash, according to the police.

Yesterday, rocket attacks that left one person dead led authorities to close educational institutions.

In Bishnupur district, a 72-year-old man was killed, and five others were injured, further escalating tensions in the conflict-ridden Imphal Valley region.

Two rockets were fired, with one hitting Tronglaobi in Bishnupur, damaging two structures, and the second striking the compound of former chief minister Mairembam Koireng's residence in Moirang town, officials said

The rocket attacks came close on the heels of the use of drones to drop crude bombs on people at two nearby places in Imphal West district earlier this week.

This is the first time drones and rockets have been employed in the ongoing ethnic conflict that has left over 200 people dead and displaced nearly 50,000 since violence between the majority Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo tribes erupted in May last year.

The rockets were fired on the day when thousands of people across five districts of Metei-majority Imphal Valley formed human chains to protest the strikes by militants.

In response to the attacks, the Manipur government announced the closure of schools and heightened security measures, with forces being deployed to the peripheries of valley districts.

"Security forces are on high alert and moving towards the periphery of valley districts, notably on the side Bishnupur bordering Churachandpur, and Imphal West bordering Kangpokpi districts," a central security force official told PTI.

Officials said that the rocket missiles were locally improvised and fired from the Thangjing hill ranges in Churachandpur district.

Following the two attacks within a gap of around 10 hours, all markets and business establishments were shut down in Moirang town and the rest of Bishnupur district and border areas of nearby districts of the state.

Local lawmaker T Shanti and Minister L Sushinro Meitei visited the affected areas to assess the situation.

"The people are clueless now. This is a new form of warfare, for which no one is prepared," a local village volunteer said.

The use of drones as a weapon was first noticed in Manipur on September 1 at Koutruk village in Imphal West district, leaving two persons dead and nine injured.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of valley-based civil groups, has declared a "public emergency" across five districts of the Imphal Valley, accusing the government of failing to protect its citizens.

Protests, including human chains involving students and women, were held in several districts condemning the recent attacks.