Manipur violence: Two trucks torched, death toll stands at 73

IMPHAL: Unidentified miscreants set on fire two tipper trucks in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on early Sunday morning.

The incident took place under Saparmeina police station, sources said.

Confirming the incident, Manipur’s Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, while speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, informed that some unidentified miscreants also torched some of the half burnt houses at Torbung area in Manipur’s Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts. However, no report of casualties was reported.

Following the incident, two Border Security Force(BSF)companies were deployed and three more companies of the BSF were dispatched to secure the area.

The recent development came days after the violence broke out in the state on May 3 over different issues.

Informing that with the recovery of one more dead body from Bishnupur district, the former CRPF chief also informed that the total number of death toll of the violence in the state stands at 73 while 243 were injured, besides report of burning 1809 houses.

The security advisor also said that two Assam Rifles personnel were also injured in an attack by unidentified armed miscreants when a joint team of Army and Assam rifles were on an area domination patrol at Lailampat in Churachandpur district on Saturday morning.

He further added that 456 arms were snatched from the security forces during the recent violence while 385 FIR cases have been registered.

Around 46,145 people have been evacuated to their respective destinations while 26,358 people are staying at 178 relief camps. Besides, 3124 persons were escorted to the airport to take flights.

On being asked about reports of blocking the highway at Kangpokpi, he clarified that the ‘breakthrough for running National Highway 2 has not yet been completed’. However, the authorities are trying to ensure the supply of essential commodities via the Jiribam route, he added.

62 companies of the paramilitary forces and 126 columns of Army and Assam Rifles are deployed in the state, he informed and appealed to the masses not to pay heed to rumours.