Two abandoned farmhouses were set ablaze by suspected militants in Manipur’s Jiribam district, police reported on Sunday, according to IANS. The incident occurred late Saturday night in the Nungkhal area when the farmhouses belonging to Hilghat gram panchayat head, L Somorendro, were torched. Authorities believe extremists were behind the attack, though no injuries were reported as the buildings were unoccupied.
Earlier on Saturday, suspected Kuki militants launched a series of attacks using guns and bombs in a nearby village, triggering a gunfight between the militants and security personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur Police. The clashes lasted for over 30 minutes, but no casualties were reported. The militants fled the scene after the skirmish, it was reported.
Following the farmhouse burning, senior police officers, along with additional forces, visited the Nungkhal area on Sunday to investigate the incident. These attacks, including the burning of the farmhouses and the village assault, came within hours of each other, according to IANS.
Jiribam, a district adjoining Assam with a mixed population, has experienced sporadic violence throughout the year. Although the district remained relatively peaceful since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023, these latest incidents underscore the fragility of the situation.
The attacks occurred just five days after a crucial meeting between MLAs from the warring Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Delhi on October 15, which also included Naga legislators. The Ministry of Home Affairs convened the meeting with the aim of fostering dialogue and finding a peaceful resolution to the ongoing ethnic unrest that has gripped Manipur for over 17 months.
According to sources, around seven Ministers and 13 legislators from the Meitei, Kuki, and Naga communities participated in the Delhi meeting, marking a significant effort to bridge divides and restore peace in the troubled northeastern state.