A full curfew was reimposed in both districts of Imphal on Wednesday after a mob attempted to storm the First Manipur Rifles Campus. 44 people, most of whom were identified as Myanmar nationals by police, were detained in the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh.
Tensions were high in both Moreh and Imphal, located 100 km apart, with reports of firing in Imphal city in the evening. A security official confirmed that a mob tried to storm the First Manipur Rifles Campus, resulting in an exchange of fire with security forces. The security forces successfully prevented any breach, according to an official.
The incident occurred after Meitei police officer Chingtham Anand Kumar was shot dead in Moreh on Tuesday, a town dominated by the Kuki-Zomi community. Following the violence, the Meitei residents of the town have fled.
To apprehend Kumar’s killers, the state cabinet approved a joint operation in Moreh and surrounding areas. Additional Manipur police commandos were deployed in Moreh, with two ambushes on the forces reported on Tuesday before a convoy of 60 commandos reached the town.
The Manipur police announced on Wednesday that 44 individuals had been detained in Moreh, with 32 of them identified as Myanmar/Burmese nationals. Ten Myanmarese citizens were taken to the Foreigner Detention Centre in Sajiwa, according to a statement from the Manipur police.
Tensions have risen in the Kuki-Zomi dominated hill areas, with residents resisting the presence of Manipur police in Moreh, alleging bias in the conflict. Multiple Kuki-Zomi community organizations have called for a 48-hour shutdown starting Thursday midnight in areas where the community is prominent.
In response to the increased deployment of Manipur police in Moreh, Kuki-Zomi community organizations have criticized the state government for forcefully deploying a convoy of 19 vehicles carrying Manipur police commandos in the town. The move has exacerbated an already volatile situation, with demands for the withdrawal of state forces.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his council of ministers, MLAs, and other officials paid tribute to Kumar on Wednesday afternoon.
