New Delhi: As Manipur continues to battle violence, with nine people dying in a fresh round of firing on the night between June 13 and June 14, security forces are battling people’s distrust.Twenty five people were injured in the Khamenlok area of Khundrakpam in Imphal East district.The Economic Times has reported that “heavily armed militants” led the attack. Most victims were asleep when the militants allegedly opened fire.The Hindu reported quoting an official that the killing was likely in retaliation for the torching of houses by Meitei groups in Kuki villages over the past three days.“The dead were part of a mob of nearly 3,000, some carrying sophisticated weapons, who entered Kuki villages in Kangpokpi district over the past three days and destroyed homes,” a source in the police told The Hindu.Mobile towers were allegedly blown up, the report says.More than a month after violence broke out in the aftermath of Kuki opposition to a high court order paving the way for the majority Meiteis’ inclusion into the Scheduled Tribes list, and following the death of close to a hundred people and the displacement of tens of thousands, violence has not ceased.A day ago, the official residence of Nemcha Kipgen, the only woman minister in Manipur, was burnt down by attackers.Meanwhile, authorities have been attempting to recover looted arms and ammunition, most of which are yet unrecovered. As many as 230 bombs of various kinds and 1,100 arms have been recovered out of the official number of 4,000 looted.The Indian Express has noted in report that the latest violence acts as a stark reminder of the constant challenges to security forces. In the Khamenlok area, for instance, security forces did not reach on time because of road blockades. The clearing of the road happened only after the nine had already lost their lives.A senior officer told the paper that because the blockade was largely led by women and had children, the forces faced difficulties in removing them because the use of force was not an option.Some sources allegedly told the paper that resistance to security forces’ intervention is a real problem in the state.The Wire‘s ground reports from Manipur had also highlighted the fact that all groups across divides in the state bore anger towards and distrust for the security forces.Meanwhile, two Rapid Action Forces cops who had allegedly participated in the violence on June 12 were placed under suspension, according to ET.
