Manipur: Kuki militants attack police station, set ablaze houses in Jiribam

Imphal: A fierce gun battle erupted in the remote Borobekra sub-division in Manipur's Jiribam district early Saturday morning, after suspected Kuki militants attacked the local police station.

In addition to the confrontation, the militants also set ablaze four houses belonging to the Meitei community in nearby villages, police said.

The clash began around 3:30 a.m. when armed assailants, believed to be Kuki militants, opened fire on the Borobekra police station, said an official.

A combined team of Manipur police and Central Reserve Police Forces stationed at the station retaliated, leading to an intense exchange of gunfire that lasted several hours.

Despite the heavy rain, the militants, armed with sophisticated weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, continued their assault from the eastern side of the police station.

While no injuries were reported among government forces, the police station sustained property damage, including a damaged refrigerator and portions of the building.

Simultaneously, militants targeted two neighboring villages, Juladhor Part 2 and Durgapur. In each village, two Meitei houses were set ablaze, forcing the residents to flee for their safety, said the police official.

The damaged houses belonged to Heisnam Premchand and Oinam Tombabu in Juladhor Part 2, and Oinam Ibuntombi and Haobam Manikumar in Durgapur.

Reinforcements were dispatched to the area, but the militants managed to escape towards the southern Pherzawl district of Manipur.