Village pradhan’s 2 farmhouses set ablaze in Manipur’s Jiribam

Two empty farm houses belonging to a village head were set ablaze in Manipur’s restive Jiribam district, the police said on Sunday. The incident took place in the Nungkhal area late on Saturday night when the farm houses belonging to Hilghat gram panchayat pradhan L Somorendro were set on fire, a police officer said.

Arms seized in Thoubal

• Arms were seized during a search operation in Thoubal district
• Security forces were conducting a search operation in Irong Hill near STNBA Gate on Saturday, an official said
• A 9mm pistol, four hand grenades and a detonator were seized

Militants were most likely behind the incident. Security forces have reached the spot and are investigating the incident. Further details are awaited. The incident was reported after militants attacked a village in the vicinity of the Borobekra police station and charged bombs on Saturday morning, leading to a gunfight with security forces. No injuries were reported in the incident.

The violence was reported days after talks were held between MLAs of the warring Meitei and Kuki communities in New Delhi in a bid to hammer out a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict. More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kukis in Manipur since May last year.

Ethnically-diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by ethnic violence in Imphal Valley and adjoining hills, erupted in violence after a mutilated body of a farmer was found in the fields this June. Thousands had to leave their homes and relocate to relief camps due to incidents of arson by both sides. A CRPF jawan was also killed in an ambush by militants during patrolling by security forces in mid-July.