Imphal: Tensions escalated in Manipur on November 16 as the bodies of 10 suspected militants, killed in a gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on November 11, were handed over to the Hmar community and protesting students.
The bodies, which had been held at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam, were transferred to the Masimpur Military base before reportedly being airlifted to Churachandpur in Manipur for further procedures.
The situation turned violent outside the morgue when members of the Hmar and Kuki communities clashed with police, demanding the bodies of the militants for post-mortem. The protesters were calling for the swift transport of the bodies, citing concerns over the situation surrounding the militants’ deaths and their connection to ongoing ethnic violence in the region.
In an unrelated but equally concerning development, the bodies of three women were discovered near the Assam-Manipur border, fueling fears of a link to the six individuals abducted by militants in the Jiribam district on November 11. The missing persons included three women and three children, all from the Meitei community, whose families are anxiously awaiting their safe return.
While the bodies of the three women have been handed over to Assam Police for examination, police sources are yet to confirm their identities. Preliminary reports suggest the women may be the ones abducted, but confirmation is pending the post-mortem findings. Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta stated, “We can confirm only after the post-mortem report is available.”
The violence and tensions stem from a militant attack on a police station in the Borobekra area on November 11, which led to the deaths of 11 militants during a retaliatory operation by security forces. The militants, while retreating, allegedly abducted the women and children from a nearby relief camp, sparking fears of an increasing security crisis in the region. A massive search operation has been launched to locate the abducted individuals.
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