Churachandpur, Manipur: Tensions flared dramatically in Molhoi village, a Kuki-majority area in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, on Monday evening as security forces encountered fierce resistance during an attempt to apprehend a suspected militant. The operation, intended to detain the individual, quickly escalated into a six-hour-long standoff with irate villagers.
Official sources confirmed that a team of security personnel arrived in the village to carry out the arrest. However, word of their presence spread rapidly, drawing a significant crowd that swiftly moved to obstruct the forces, physically blocking their efforts to detain the suspect.
As the situation intensified, the number of protestors swelled, escalating the confrontation. The enraged mob resorted to setting tyres ablaze, effectively barricading key roads and transforming the locality into a volatile flashpoint of unrest. The area remained gripped by tension for nearly six hours, marked by a tense standoff between the villagers and the security personnel, who maintained a heightened presence.
Eventually, in the early hours of Tuesday, around 1 AM, the security forces were compelled to withdraw from Molhoi village without making any arrests. Officials later confirmed that the operation concluded without any detentions. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragile law and order situation prevalent in Churachandpur, a district that has been a focal point of heightened tensions amidst the ongoing unrest in the state.