Clashes ahead of Shah’s Manipur visit

Imphal East and areas on the border of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts also remained tense with sporadic incidents of violence.

Smoke billows from a fire that broke out amid clashes between armed groups and security forces in Imphal.

GUWAHATI: Hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah was to land in Manipur, five people were killed as violence continued in the restive state on Sunday. Incidents of gunfire and arson were reported from four districts of the state.

At least 33 armed militants were killed by security forces over the past four days in separate operations, authorities said. Four civilians and a policeman were killed in Sugnu in Kakching district and another civilian was killed in Phayeng in Imphal West district.

Imphal East and areas on the border of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts also remained tense with sporadic incidents of violence. At Uripok in Imphal West, a mob ransacked the house of BJP MLA Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh and torched two vehicles.

Sunday’s violence comes as Army Chief General Manoj Pandey arrived in the state to chalk out strategies to restore peace. Chief Minister N Biren Singh briefed him about the situation on Sunday. “We are trying to find out the culprits, those militants who are attacking civilians. Around 33 militants have been killed,” Singh later told journalists.

A senior official, however, said at least 40 were killed till Sunday evening. Singh said the spurt in attacks on civilian houses appeared well-planned “to show their strength” at a time when Union Minister of State for home Nityanand Rai is in Manipur to take stock of the situation ahead of Shah’s visit.

CM seeks support for troops 
CM Biren Singh said there had been cases of armed militants firing at civilians with AK-47s, M-16 and sniper rifles. He said efforts were on to track down all militants and urged the public to support the security forces