3 women, 3 children missing after 10 ‘militants’ killed during encounter in Manipur’s Jiribam, parts of state shut down

The bodies of two elderly civilians were recovered from the Jiribam district of Manipur on Tuesday following a gunfight between suspected militants and security forces. The police is also working to trace six others — women and children — who were found missing following the clash. Suspected militants had set several shops on fire while others fired indiscriminately at a police station and an adjacent CRPF camp on Monday.

“The firing stopped after 45 minutes…we found that there were a lot of casualties. About 10 militants were found dead, two senior persons were found burnt to death and three women and three minors were found missing. Now, the police is trying to trace these missing women, children,” the Manipur Police said.

Meanwhile life was paralysed in the hill districts of Manipur as ethnic organisations called for an 11-hour shutdown to protest the killing of 10 people by paramilitary soldiers. Heavy gunfire was reported overnight in the periphery of the hills and the Imphal Valley.Schools and businesses remained closed and people staying indoors with no vehicles on the road.

“There was an attack by armed miscreants at the Boropekra Police Station and also at the CRPF camp located nearby around 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon. The armed militants were using RPGs and sophisticated automatic weapons such as AK, INSAS and SLRs. The CRPF retaliated after they were attacked,” recounted Manipur IG (operations) Dr IK Muivah during a press conference in Imphal.

The bodies of the two men - Laishram Balen and Maibam Kesho - were detected in debris during a search operation in the Jakuradhor Karong area. A few shops had been set on fire by suspected militants on Monday.

“The two elderly men belonging to the Meitei community died after the insurgents torched a few shops in Jakuradhor Karong area,” a senior officer said.

(With inputs from agencies)