IMPHAL: A minimum of three people were killed and several houses burnt down in fresh incidents of violence that reportedly happened in Bishnupur district of Manipur late on Friday.
The three who were reported deceased are said to belong to the Meitei community from the Kwakta area.
The fresh incidents of violence also led to several houses of people from the Kuki community being burnt down.
Following the violence, there were reports of heavy firing taking place between the Kuki community and security forces in the Kwakta area of the Bishnupur district. Manipur Police and Commandos were forced to retaliate to the heavy firing.
Bishnupur Police informed that, while three people from the Meitei community were killed, several houses belonging to people of the Kuki community were set on fire.
In the crossfire, a Manipur commando was reported to have suffered a head injury. The situation turned critical in Bishnupur after the eruption of the fresh incidents of violence.
The wounded commando was admitted to the Bishnupur hospital for treatment. Paramilitary forces were deployed in the area to quell further violence.
According to Police sources, a few people came into Meitei-dominated areas after crossing the buffer zone and fired on them.
The buffer zone, which is more than 2 km ahead of Kwakta area in Bishnupur district, between the two warring communities, is guarded by central forces.
Meanwhile, Police forces were rushed to the spot.
The latest incidents of violence comes just two days after 17 people were injured in clashes that took place between armed forces and the Meitei community protesters in Manipur's Bishnupur district on Thursday.
Tear gas shells were fired by armed forces and the Manipur Police to disperse the protesters in the Kangvai and Phougakchao areas of the district.
The incident prompted the authorities to withdraw the curfew relaxations announced earlier in Imphal East and Imphal West districts. Moreover, the authorities also imposed the curfew restrictions during the day as a precautionary measure.
According to available information, the incident occurred when the Meitei women attempted to force their way across a barricaded zone in the district. They were halted from doing so by the Assam Rifles and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), which led to stone-pelting and clashes between the community and armed forces.
The ethnic violence in the northeastern state broke out nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people and injuring hundreds till now.
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