Militants set on fire 2 farmhouses in Manipur

GUWAHATI: Violence flared in Manipur 's Jiribam district as suspected militants set fire to two vacant farmhouses in a rubber plantation belonging to a village chief on Saturday night, continuing a spate of unrest in the area.

"Since Friday, we have observed cases of arson and gunfire in Jiribam. Beginning with the fire in a school, followed by shooting in the vicinity of a police station, and now farmhouses have been set on fire. The situation in Jiribam is tense," a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Police sources said security forces responded promptly, rescuing gram panchayat pradhan L Somorendro from the area. However, the attackers fled when police arrived.

Ethnic hostility could be behind the attack, and miscreants could be involved, trying to pass off the arson as the handiwork of militants, police sources said. An officer suggested that militants and miscreants may have collaborated to create chaos, possibly exploiting ethnic tensions.

Violence in Jiribam came after months of calm in the region, following the outbreak of ethnic clashes in Manipur in May last year. Tensions began in June this year after the killing of a 59-year-old man sparked retaliatory attacks, including the burning of houses belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities.

The recent unrest followed discussions held by the Union home ministry in New Delhi last Tuesday with MLAs from Meitei, Kuki-Zo-Hmar, and Naga communities, aiming to address the ongoing ethnic conflict .