In a tragic escalation of violence in Manipur’s Jiribam district, the bodies of two Meitei men were discovered in houses in the Jakuradhor area on Tuesday morning, a day after a fierce gunfight erupted between security forces and suspected armed militants. Police identified the deceased as Laishram Barel Singh (63) and Maibam Keshwo Singh (71), both of whom had been staying in a local relief camp.
The gunfight, which took place on Monday afternoon, reportedly involved suspected Hmar community militants and security forces after an attack on a CRPF post and the nearby Borobekra police station. Eyewitnesses reported that suspected militants had targeted homes and shops in Meitei settlements earlier in the day, heightening the ongoing tension in the area.
‘Ten’ Missing After Violent Incident
The Jakuradhor and Borobekra areas saw intense gunfire, and six people remain missing following the incident. According to local residents, 118 individuals displaced by violence earlier this year have been residing in a relief camp at Borobekra police station. On Monday, as firing and arson ensued, residents from the camp scrambled to safety, resulting in ten individuals initially unaccounted for.
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A resident, Yurembam Sanjoy Singh, expressed concern about the missing individuals, stating, “After the violence subsided, we found that 10 people from the relief camp had gone missing. This morning, two bodies were found and two others were located alive. Six people — three women and three children — are still missing, and we are very afraid of what might have happened to them.”
Background and Rising Tensions in Manipur
Monday’s incident marked the highest casualties in a single day amid the ongoing Manipur conflict. Just days prior, a 31-year-old woman from the Hmar community was killed in an attack on her village near Jiribam. According to Hmar community leaders, those involved in Monday’s gunfight were “village volunteers” responding to the woman’s killing.
The situation in Manipur remains highly volatile, with the recent clashes exacerbating tensions between communities in the region. The government and security forces are actively working to stabilize the area and locate the missing individuals as communities mourn those lost in the ongoing violence.
