Curfew has been imposed in West Imphal and East Imphal in restive Manipur. Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in seven districts. The authorities took this decision to bring the situation under control when new protests started against the killing of six people in the districts. After the abduction of the victims, their bodies were found in Jiribam. On Saturday (November 16), the Indian media India Today reported this news.
In view of the current situation in this north-eastern state of India, internet services were suspended for two days in West Imphal, East Imphal, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts. Widespread violence was reported in parts of the Imphal Valley district. The angry mob attacked and vandalized the residences of several officials.
A source said on Saturday that protest against the abduction and killing of six people took place at Khwairamband Kithel in Imphal. Three women and three children were killed. Their bodies were found near a river in Jirimukh, a remote village of Jiribam district on the Manipur-Assam border on Friday evening.
The bodies were brought to Assam's Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) on Friday night and sent to the morgue for postmortem.
Three women and three children went missing from a shelter in Jiribam district on Monday following a gunfight between security forces and terrorists. The Meitei organizations alleged that they were abducted by terrorists
On November 11, a group of terrorists attacked a police station in Borobekra area. But security forces foiled their attack. As a result, 11 terrorists were killed. During the retreat, the terrorists allegedly abducted three women and three children from a shelter near the police station.
The authorities announced that a massive search operation would be conducted to find them. The state government has declared a holiday in schools and colleges on Saturday.
For more than a year and a half, ethnic violence has been going on between the Kuki and Metei communities in Manipur. Recently this violence has increased due to several incidents. The ethnically diverse Ziribum faced renewed violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found on a plot of land in June.
On Thursday, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was reimposed in six police station areas of Manipur, including central Jiribam. The Union Home Ministry stressed that the decision was taken in view of the 'volatile situation' due to ongoing communal violence.
Since May 3 last year, more than 200 people have been killed in ethnic clashes between the Meiti tribes of the Imphal Valley and the Kuki tribes of the neighboring hills. At this time, thousands more people became homeless.