Northeast Desk, 5th September: A fresh incident of arson occurred early Wednesday morning in Manipur’s Jiribam district, where suspected ‘tribal village volunteers’ set a house ablaze, police reported. The three-room house, located in Jakuradhor, belonged to a retired police officer whose family had already vacated the property due to previous violence in the district.
The armed attackers struck around 3:30 am, using the cover of darkness to carry out the attack. The property lies 28 km from the Jiribam district headquarters, near the Hmar-dominated Pherzawl district.
This act of violence comes in the wake of a peace agreement signed on August 1 between representatives of the Meitei and Hmar communities, aimed at restoring normalcy and preventing further arson. The meeting, held at a CRPF facility in Assam’s Cachar district, was mediated by Jiribam district authorities, Assam Rifles, and CRPF personnel. It included community leaders from the Hmar, Meitei, Thadou, Paite, and Mizo communities of Jiribam.
The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the peace agreement as tensions continue to simmer in the region. Authorities are investigating the attack, with security forces on alert to prevent further escalation.
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