Imphal (Manipur): The toll in exchange of fire between security forces and suspected rioters in Manipur's Kangpokpi district a day before, rose to three on Friday, with one more person succumbing to injuries in hospital, officials said. Five people were reported injured in the firefight, they said.
The clashes broke out on a day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is visiting the ethnic-strife ridden north eastern state. Rahul who arrived in Imphal on Thursday will visit two relief camps here. High drama unfolded when Rahul Gandhi wanted to take the road to visit a relief camp on Thursday.
There were protests for and against the Congress leader's visit to the violence-marred state. Rahul Gandhi was offered a helicopter by the state police to continue his visit. He has taken from his hotel in Imphal for the airport to visit Moirang on Friday. Gandhi will travel by helicopter to Moirang. According to sources he is expected to visit two relief camps there, before returning to Imphal.
Meanwhile, armed rioters had opened unprovoked firing at Haraothel village on Thursday. The Army said security forces personnel "responded in a calibrated manner" to tackle the situation, they said. The mob dispersed by 10 pm, as police and RAF were employed for crowd control, the officials said.
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Members of the community to which two of the rioters belonged collected their bodies on Thursday and took out a procession to Chief Minister N Biren Singh's residence here, they said. The demonstrators, led by women, even dared police to arrest them, and were also seen burning tyres in the middle of the road to prevent police movement, the officials said.
As security personnel stopped them from marching to Singh's residence, the processionists turned violent, prompting police to use tear gas shells and resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob. Assam Rifles columns were deployed at National Sports University & K Munlai village on Thursday, after intermittent gunfire from automatic weapons was heard from multiple directions towards Haraothel village.
An official said unidentified gunmen fired without provocation in the early hours of Thursday and again in the evening. Giving details of the morning firing, the official Twitter handle of the Army, operating in the region, stated armed rioters opened unprovoked firing at 5.30 am. "Own troops deployed in the area immediately mobilised to prevent escalation of situation. While enroute to the site, own columns drew effective fire from armed rioters," the official Spear Corps' handle of the Army said.
It said the troops "responded in a calibrated manner to prevent any collateral damage. Swift action by troops resulted in cessation of firing. In another tweet in the evening, the Spear Corps said: "At approx 4 PM, troops deployed in the area heard firing from east of village K Munlai.
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Further, at approx 5.15 PM, exchange of fire reported from direction of village Bethel, south of National Sports University. Own columns are dominating the area to de-escalate the situation. The area is located around 20 km from capital city of Imphal. A candlelight march was also held in Churachandpur on Thursday to pray for peace in Manipur.
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. (with PTI inputs)
