Ground reports indicated the presence of police personnel near the Senapati district gate, though this could not be independently confirmed. A paramilitary soldier was injured amid firing in Manipur’s Senapati and adjoining areas of Kangpokpi district today. Several houses were also burnt or damaged.
The first fire incident was reported at 2.40 am from Taphou Kuki, with fire services personnel reaching the area at 3.30 am.
Some people at the site objected to the arrival of the firefighters, according to local accounts.
The situation escalated at around 9.20 am, when firing broke out in the area as journalists were covering the incident and recording footage of the burnt and damaged houses
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority in a statement today condemned the burning and destruction of a house belonging to a Taphou Kuki villager, describing the incident as “deplorable, inhuman and unacceptable. It also appealed to all concerned to refrain from violence, arson and destruction of property. The situation escalated at around 9.20 am, when firing broke out in the area as journalists were covering the incident and recording footage of the burnt and damaged houses. Meanwhile, NH-2, the Imphal-Dimapur highway, was blocked by members of the Naga tribes, disrupting traffic along the major road link between Manipur and Nagaland. The authority issued a 24-hour deadline to those involved in burning the house to claim responsibility and resolve the matter under Kuki customary law.
The village authority asked the district administration and the police to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and take action according to law. It said it would not be responsible for any unauthorised incident thereafter.
