Manipur on edge as violence erupts near Myanmar border

New Delhi, July 26

Despite all-out efforts by the security agencies to bring peace and normalcy to ethnic strife-hit Manipur, a fresh incident of violence was reported from the state today when a large mob torched nearly 30 empty houses and demolished several others in the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh.

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Security officials said a 2,000-strong mob, comprising men and women, launched an attack on Moreh Bazar. They said the arson came hours after two buses used by the forces to transport personnel were set on fire by a mob in Kangpokpi district.

According to Manipur police officials, the incident had occurred at Sapormeina when the buses were coming from Dimapur last evening. Locals stopped the buses, bearing Manipur registration numbers, at Sapormeina and insisted that they would check if any member of another community was on board, they said, adding that some of them set the buses on fire.

Indicating that the mob that came out in Moreh today was backed by armed miscreants, the security officials said a combined team of the Assam Rifles, Moreh police, CDO and the BSF tried to push back the mob. In the process, the security forces resorted to firing into the air to disperse the mob and contain the arson. There was no report of casualty.

The police said the premises and the buildings attacked by the mob were the same that were targeted in previous attacks. The mob also targeted the forest office building at Moreh, they said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said construction of temporary houses at Sajiwa in Imphal and Yaithibi Loukol in Thoubal district was nearing completion. “Soon, families from relief camps will be able to move into these homes. The state government is taking all possible measures to rehabilitate the people affected by the recent violence, both in the hills and the valley,” Singh said in a Twitter post. The Chief Minister had last month said his government would build 3,000-4,000 pre-fabricated houses to accommodate people who had to flee from their houses because of the ethnic strife.