Gunfight in Moreh as Kuki mob loots Meetei houses
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 26 2023:
A large mob of armed Kuki militants and women folks torched around 30 abandoned houses belonging to Meetei community at the border town of Moreh on Wednesday while around 10 houses including Moreh office of this daily were vandalised.
The unruly mob also looted 15 warehouses and a shopping mall run by MANIDCO following which gunhghts broke out between security forces and Kuki militants at 4/5 localities of the town after state forces and Assam Rifles retaliated firing by Kuki militants.
As per information received here, large numbers of Kuki women and men along with armed Kuki militants first ravaged around 10 houses belonging to Meetei community using excavator.
The unruly mob also destroyed Moreh office of Poknapham and The People's Chronicle at about 10am Wednesday.
The mob, which targeted only the Meetei houses of the locality, also looted a shopping mall run by MANIDCO and torched 15 warehouses.
They then proceeded to Moreh Ward No 7 Turel Wangma and torched 20 houses belonging to Meetei community, 20 Meetei houses at Moreh bazar and 10 Meetei houses at Heinou Makhong.
The mob even attacked a team of Assam Rifles also comprising women personnel who were trying to control the situation resulting in one woman AR soldier suffering injuries in the attack.
Amidst intense tussle between the two sides, Kuki militants fired towards the AR team to which the latter retaliated leading to fierce gun-fight.
After the incident, Moreh police commando and special commando personnel deployed in the border town, who had long been confined in their post and reportedly not permitted to use their weapons, were allowed to move out of their post.
Subsequently, the combined team of police commando and AR troop exchanged fire with Kuki militants at 4/5 places in the border town.
Though there is no report of casualty on the side of the security forces, some fatalities is suspected among the Kuki militants.
As the combined security team comprising AR, special police commando, Moreh police and other forces managed to flush out the Kuki militants, areas earlier dominated by Kuki militants in the border town up to Hotel Elo-ra have been dominated by police commando by about 12 noon.
Accordingly, police commandos have started patrolling in the town using bullet proof vehicles and area domination continued till late Wednesday evening.
The combined security team also conducted search operation at some suspected hideouts of Kuki militants and also picked up some persons for verification.
In the wake of the fresh violence, steps have been taken up to rush in additional commando personnel to Moreh.
Meanwhile, people displaced from Moreh and Churachandpur currently taking shelter at Akampat relief camp took out a rally in protest against torching of Meetei houses at Moreh.
However, a large team of police stopped the rallyists at Singjamei bridge.
Apart from shouting slogans including rooting out narco-terrorists and safeguarding territorial integrity of Manipur, the rallyist strongly condemned torching of remaining Meetei houses guarded by Assam Rifles.
They also questioned as
to why Assam Rifles allowed the Kukis to torch and vandalise Meetei houses in their presence.
Later, a six-member team of the protestors was allowed to meet chief minister N Biren Singh during which the CM was urged to deploy state forces in adequate strength at Moreh and allow displaced people to return to their homes.