Tension grips Manipur's Ukhrul after militants set ablaze several houses

Imphal: Armed militants allegedly torched several houses in Manipur's Ukhrul district, as tensions simmered in the area after a Tangkhul Naga community member was “assaulted” by a group of people, officials said on Monday. Two tribal groups had on Sunday evening engaged in intense stone pelting at Litan village in the district, prompting the administration to clamp prohibitory orders, they said. Around midnight on Monday, several houses of Tangkhul Naga community members were set on fire at Litan Sareikhong, allegedly by Kuki militants. A few houses of those belonging to the Kuki community were also torched in a nearby area, the officials said. Tangkhul is the largest Naga tribe in Manipur. Litan Sareikhong is a Kuki village. "The damages are being ascertained, and the situation remains tense," a district official told reporters.

Video footages doing the rounds show armed men setting fire to houses and vehicles in the village, and militants wearing camouflage firing with sophisticated weapons in the air. Media could not independently verify the authenticity of the video clips. Additional security personnel have been deployed at Mahadev, Lambui and Shangkai and in other areas leading to Litan to maintain law and order and prevent movement of suspicious persons, the official said.

On Sunday evening, security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the two tribal groups that clashed at Litan Sareikhong village, he said. A notification issued by the Ukhrul district magistrate said there was apprehension of breach of peace and tranquillity at the village, due to tension between members of the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities. DM Asish Das said in the notification that the movement of anyone outside the person’s residence is prohibited from 7 pm on Sunday until further orders. The decree shall not be applicable to government officials and security personnel, it added. Violence broke out in the area, after a Tangkhul Naga community member was allegedly assaulted by seven to eight persons at Litan village on Saturday night. The matter was settled by the victim's side and the chief of Litan Sareikhong, and both parties mutually agreed to resolve the issue through customary means, with a meeting scheduled for Sunday, the officials said. However, the meeting did not take place. Instead, a group of villagers from nearby Sikibung allegedly launched an attack on the residence of the chief of Litan Sareikhong, they said. The villagers also reportedly fired seven rounds while passing through the vicinity of Litan police station.