Security forces cease firing between two warring groups in Manipur

Imphal: The seven days of intermittent gunfires between two warring groups came to an end finally when the security forces launched large-scale simultaneous operations at the inter-district villages of Churachandpur and Kakching on Tuesday, officials said on Wednesday.

For a first in the ongoing ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kukis, a wide range of counter operations were carried out at the same time in the general area of Lailoiphai, Dongjang village of Churachandpur District, and Sugnu of Kakching district.

The synchronized operations yielded a ceasefire at these inter-district villages at the time of filing this news story.

The miscreants/militants, taking positions in Dongyang and Lailophai villages of the Churachandpur district predominantly inhabited by the Kukis, have been bombarding the Meitei villages of Sugnu for the past seven days.

The village volunteers from the Sugnu village of Kakching district assisted by the BSF personnel retaliated against the firings.

On Sugnu’s side, the search operation was carried out by a combined team of 136 Bn BSF and Kakching district police.

In the Lailophai and Dongyang areas where militants taking positions in the bunkers, the search operations were launched by a combined force of Churachandpur district police, CRPF, and ITBP.

In the continuous attack and counterattacks between the two groups at these inter-districts that started on February 14 early morning using bombs and sophisticated firearms, four elderly people belonging to the Meitei community lost their lives owing to hypertension and four other persons including two BSF men sustained injuries.

A total of 15 houses were also badly damaged in the bombardments in Sungnu village, the local MLA Kangujam Ranjit said.