Photo Courtesy: nenews
Imphal: Arsonists set fire to abandoned Meitei houses in the Kanto Sabal area of Imphal West on Saturday. The blaze erupted near the border with the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. Smoke rose from the site around midday, drawing a massive crowd of locals to the scene.
Security forces moved in to block roughly 600 to 1,000 residents from reaching the burning properties. Officers fired tear gas shells and smoke bombs to disperse the gathered crowd. Tensions boiled over as locals clashed with the Army and central police units trying to contain the chaos.
One resident, L. Bijeta, claimed security failed despite having an outpost nearby. She said, "Since the beginning of the ethnic conflict, my family has been staying in a relief camp while our house remained abandoned. We had been assured by the security forces that our property would remain safe. Despite those assurances, our house was burnt today."
Officials reported no deaths in the incident. Several people suffered injuries during the skirmishes with forces and were moved to hospitals. Fire tenders arrived to douse the flames as authorities locked down the border zone. Police have opened an investigation into the arson.
This area has stayed volatile since ethnic violence gripped the state in May 2023. Locals blame Kuki agitators for crossing from the hills to torch the valley-side homes. Security remains tight tonight to prevent further flare-ups.
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