Kuki-Chin offensive spreads to Jiribam, Govt caught napping, again
72 Meitei houses burnt down at Jiribam, over 200 rendered homeless
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal/Jiribam, June 08 2024:
Amid the worsening situation in Jiribam, many Meetei villages in Barak Circle have been attacked by Kuki militants and their associates.
Reportedly, some Government offices including two police outposts have also been torched in the district along with many dweeling houses.
Meanwhile a reinforcement team of State security forces has been sent to Jiribam following the attack.
It is said that 72 houses belonging to Meetei families at Bhutangkhal (1), Harinagar (1), Modhupur (5) and Lamtai Khunou (65) which come under Barak Circle were torched by the Kuki militants last night.
With their houses burnt down, over 200 people including women and children have been rendered homeless and they are taking refuge in relief camps.
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Some locals said that seven persons went missing after the attack but six of them have been found while the whereabouts of the remaining one is still unknown.
After the arson, heavily armed Kuki militants surrounded Lamtai Khunou and bombarded the Meetei village at around 4 am today, following which a gunfight ensued.
State security personnel and village volunteers also fired towards the Kuki militants and the gunfight stop- ped after Assam Rifles arrived at the site, said some locals.
Apart from the residential places, the Kuki militants also torched Jirimukh police outpost, Chhotobekra police outpost and Goakhal Forest Beat office.
One officer posted at a police outpost in Borobekra in Jiribam subdivision, a few kilometres from Chotobekra, said the suspected insurgents began attacking this OP at 2.30 am.
"They came in boats, and attacked the OPs in the dark," the officer said, requesting anonymity.
The suspected insurgents attacked many villages along the river, police sources said.
They confirmed the visuals of suspected insurgents setting homes on fire and celebrating on camera as from the attacks that happened this morning.
The violent offensive which began at around 10.30 pm continued till early next morning with a series of violence in the form of arson and firing taking place in between.
About 80 villagers of Bhutangkhal, Harinagar, Modhupur and Lamtai Khunou are currently taking shelter at Borobekra police station following the onslaught by Kuki militants.
It is said that many other Meetei villagers have also fled from their places and are taking refuge at different places of Jiribam District Headquarters.
To control the situation, a reinforcement team of 75 commando personnel have been airlifted to Jiribam from Kangla in a chopper.
There is no confirmation of the reinforcement reaching the sites which were attacked at the time of filing this report.
Notably, the tension erupted in Jiribam after one Meetei (Soibam Saratkumar) was killed shortly after he was abducted on June 6 .
Bhutangkhal, a Meitei village was the first place which was attacked (one house torched) by the Kuki militants at around 10.30 last night.
The ill-fated house belonged to one RK Mangolsana and his daughter namely RK Chandrasana is a staff reporter at Jiri News Network (JNN) and a correspondent of North East Window TV ( NEW TV) .
Fortunately, no one was injured in the attack.
Editor-in-chief JNN Seram Herajit Singh has condemned the attack and urged the Manipur Government to provide some sort of compensation to RK Mangolsana and also protect them from further attack.
Meanwhile, the State Government has ordered the transfer and posting of three IPS officers and appointed M Pradip Singh as the Senior SP of Jiribam.
As per an order issued by Joint Secretary (DP), Jiribam SP A Ghanashyam Sharma has been posted as AD of MPTC while Kabib K has been posted as IGP (Int/NAB) and Director of MPTC in addition.