IMPHAL: More than 200 people from the Meitei community have been moved to a new relief camp after violence erupted in Jiribam district, Manipur.
The unrest began after a man was killed, allegedly by militants. The affected individuals are currently staying at the Jiri Sports Complex as their homes in villages like Lamtai Khunou, Dibong Khunou, Nunkhal, and Begra were set on fire by suspected militants.
According to an official, the majority of the affected villagers lived over 30 kilometers away from Jiribam town. In light of the violence, extra security forces have been sent to the area.
The Manipur police have instructed state police commandos based in Imphal Valley to quickly move to Jiribam to strengthen security measures.
The violence started on Thursday evening when a 59-year-old man named Soibam Saratkumar Singh, from one community, was reportedly killed by militants from another community.
Singh disappeared after heading to his farm in the morning, and police sources say his body was found later with wounds from a sharp object. In response to his killing, angry locals set fire to an abandoned building.
They also held a protest outside the Jiribam police station, demanding the return of their licensed firearms, which had been taken during the elections.
Jiribam, with its diverse population including Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis, and people from outside Manipur, had been free from the ethnic tensions affecting Manipur since May last year.
The conflict between the Meiteis from the Imphal Valley and the Kukis from the hills in Manipur has led to the deaths of over 200 people and forced thousands to leave their homes.
Meanwhile, curfew was imposed in Manipur's Jiribam and Tamenglong districts, adjoining Assam, for an indefinite period after protests erupted over the killing of a 59-year-old man by suspected 'armed attackers', officials said on Friday.
After setting some abandoned structures on fire, local people staged massive protests. A section of protesters demanded the return of their licenced firearms in Jiribam. The weapons were deposited in the wake of recent Lok Sabha elections. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the mob.
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