Manipur: Gunfight Breaks Out Between Militants, Security Forces in Moreh

A gunfight erupted between security forces and militants in the town of Moreh along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur on Sunday night, as per police reports. Militants from the hills launched an attack on state police forces, prompting a retaliatory response and leading to a gunfight, according to a police official.

Additional information is currently pending. Earlier on January 2, the border town in Tengnoupal district experienced a significant gunfight, resulting in injuries to six security personnel, including a BSF jawan. The injured individuals were subsequently airlifted to Imphal for more advanced medical treatment. Preceding this incident, the town had already been the site of similar gun battles since December 30. 

Kaikholal Haokip, spokesperson of the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, an umbrella group for Kukis in the district said “the gunfight began on 9pm”. There were no reports of casualties till the time of going to press. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had last week remarked that there were high chances that foreign mercenaries from Myanmar were involved in the attacks in Moreh.

Since early May, Manipur has been grappling with escalating ethnic violence, marked by clashes between the Meiteis, the most populous community in the state, and the tribal Kukis. The clashes have resulted in the loss of nearly 200 lives. The pervasive ethnic unrest has given rise to the formation of community-based armed village defense volunteers. This surge in violence underscores the deepening fault lines that extend beyond the Meitei-Kuki divide, leading to tensions and conflicts among various communities and groups in the region.