Four militants and one civilian were murdered in a new round of conflict in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Saturday morning, according to the local administration. According to local authorities, the civilian’s death inside his home sparked a gunfight in which four extremists were slain.
“A gunfight started in the morning after militants entered a village and killed a man. The killing was part of the ongoing ethnic clashes. We have reports that the dead include both Kuki and Meitei militants,” said a security force officer.
Manipur has been plagued by ethnic tensions between the Kuki and Meitei populations for the previous 17 months, with a dramatic increase in violence in the last five days. The recent escalation prompted the state administration to close all educational institutions on Saturday.
On Friday night, rioters in Imphal attempted to take firearms from the 2 Manipur Rifles and 7 Manipur Rifles headquarters, but were stopped by security personnel. This followed the killing of an old man in Bishnupur earlier that day.
Friday also marked the first known use of rockets in the ongoing conflict, with Kuki militants reportedly deploying long-range rockets just six days after drones were weaponized. Manipur police confirmed that the militants used “long-range rockets” in their latest attack.
The violence, which initially involved rifles and grenades, has taken a dangerous turn with the introduction of advanced weaponry, raising concerns over the escalating conflict.