Fierce gun battle continues in Imphal East; journalist, civilians among injured

Imphal, Dec. 28: Intense gunfights broke out throughout the night on Friday in the Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi areas of Imphal East District, escalating tensions in the region.

The violence resulted in several injuries, including a woman who was wounded around midnight and a video journalist who sustained bullet injuries early in the morning.

The injured journalist has been identified as K Kabichandra, a reporter working with a local television channel.

The situation has drawn widespread condemnation, with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressing his strong disapproval of the attacks.

Singh took to social media to denounce the indiscriminate firing by militants in the affected areas, which he described as "cowardly and unprovoked" attacks on innocent civilians and security personnel.

Singh also reassured the public that adequate security personnel had been deployed to the affected areas and confirmed that the injured were receiving medical assistance.

He also called for coordination between central forces and state police to handle such volatile situations.

As of Friday, two people—one state police officer and a civilian—had already been reported injured in the escalating violence, bringing the total number of wounded individuals in the valley to four.

In addition to the violence in Imphal East, a 24-hour shutdown was called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Manipur, demanding justice for the killing of a village volunteer by Manipur Police personnel in Thoubal district.

The shutdown, which began on December 27 at 6 pm, will remain in effect until 6 pm on December 28.

The incident at the heart of the shutdown occurred on December 14, when Laishram Prem, an 18-year-old resident of Thoubal Khunnou, was reportedly killed during an encounter with police commandos in the Salungpham area of Thoubal district.

Police claimed that Prem, who was severely injured in the encounter, later succumbed to his wounds at a hospital in Imphal.

According to the police report, Prem was allegedly a member of a banned underground outfit, and six individuals were arrested in connection with the encounter.

However, Prem’s family, along with the JAC and local women’s groups, insist that he was merely a village volunteer and not involved in any insurgent activity. The JAC has demanded the unconditional release of six village volunteers arrested in relation to the incident.

The 19-month long ethnic violence in the state has led to the loss of more than 260 lives and the displacement of over 70,000 people, many of whom are now residing in relief camps across the state.

Efforts initiated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to restore peace have thus far failed, as both communities have refused to come to the negotiation table.