Imphal, 18 November (IANS). There have been incidents of arson in the offices of several political parties in the violence-hit Jiribam district on Sunday night. Meanwhile, after widespread protests in Jiribam since Saturday following the recovery of six bodies, including those of children, joint security forces including the Army conducted a flag march in Imphal on Sunday night.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a prominent organization of the Kuki-Jo tribe, said on Sunday night that at least five churches, a school, a petrol pump and 14 houses of the tribals were burnt by attackers from the rival community in Jiribam on Saturday night. Gave.
Condemning the arson, ITLF alleged that security forces deployed in Jiribam town failed to do so despite a Supreme Court order to protect buildings abandoned due to the ongoing conflict in Manipur.
The Army, Assam Rifles, BSF, CRPF, Manipur Police and state commandos, led by top officials, conducted a flag march in the capital Imphal and its outskirts on Sunday night, a police officer said.
Police said that the body of a woman was recovered floating in the Barak river on Sunday. The body was recovered by Assam Police from Barak river in Cachar district, which borders Jiribam.
Tension flared up again in Jiribam on Sunday after a photograph of the dead body was widely circulated.
On Sunday night, an angry mob burnt the offices of several political parties in Jiribam. Details of the attacks are awaited.
A police officer in Imphal said that 25 people, who were part of the mob that vandalized and arsoned the houses of ministers and MLAs, have been arrested from Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts and some arms and ammunition, mobile phones were recovered from their possession. The phones have been recovered.
After news of recovery of six bodies in Jiribam spread on Saturday, mobs in several districts, especially Imphal East and Imphal West districts, attacked and vandalized about two dozen houses of ministers, MLAs and political leaders.
State forces, including Assam Rifles, BSF and commandos, fired several rounds of tear gas shells and rubber bullets on Saturday and Sunday to disperse the protesters, injuring more than 15 people.
The protesters also burnt tires on the main roads of Imphal and piled up various materials and heavy iron rods to stop vehicular movement.
The six bodies, which have not yet been identified by family members, are believed to be those of six women and children missing since November 11 in Jiribam district.
The bodies, found on Friday and Saturday near the confluence of Jiri and Barak rivers on the Manipur-Assam border, were brought to Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.
After widespread strikes and protests broke out, authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Imphal East, West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching districts of the Imphal Valley “due to the deteriorating law and order situation”.
Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi ordered suspension of mobile internet and data services in seven districts – Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur for two days from Saturday evening.
–IANS
AKJ/
