Manipur Crisis: Imphal Valley Witnesses Night of Clashes, Curfew Relaxed

IMPHAL: The atmosphere in Manipur's Imphal valley remained tense on Friday morning, following a night marked by violent confrontations, including a brazen attempt to assault the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

According to new reports, in a bid to provide residents with access to essential goods and medicines, authorities have decided to relax the curfew in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, allowing movement from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

However, this relaxation does not extend to "any gathering or large-scale movement of individuals or sit-in protests that are of an unlawful nature," as stipulated by an official directive.

On Thursday night, despite heavy security measures and a curfew in place in Imphal valley, a mob made a daring attempt to attack the CM's vacant ancestral residence. This audacious move was thwarted by security forces who resorted to firing multiple rounds of tear gas shells.

"A deliberate attempt was made to target the chief minister's ancestral residence in the Heingang locality of Imphal. Security forces managed to halt the mob approximately 100-150 meters away from the residence," stated a police officer.

It is noteworthy that the chief minister resides in a separate, heavily guarded official residence situated in the heart of the state's capital.

Numerous individuals sustained injuries during clashes between security forces and protesters at various locations within the state capital on Thursday night, according to sources.

In Hatta Minuthong, Imphal East, a rally demanding justice for the two students who were killed turned violent after security personnel prevented their further advance. Several individuals were injured during the ensuing commotion and had to be admitted to a local hospital, as reported by sources.

Late on Thursday night, a residence in Checkon, Imphal East, was set ablaze by a rampaging mob. Firefighters subsequently managed to extinguish the blaze, as confirmed by officials.

Meanwhile, in Wangkhei, Khurai, and Kongba, located in Imphal East district, protesters set tires ablaze and used iron pipes and boulders to block roads, hindering the movement of security forces.

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