Army soldier injured in Manipur violence: An Indian Army soldier sustained bullet injuries in his leg after miscreants opened unprovoked firing in the Imphal West district of violence-hit Manipur, sources said.
The incident occurred at around 11.45 pm on Sunday, following which the soldier was shifted to the military hospital at Leimakhong, according to sources. The condition of the soldier is said to be stable.
Sources said that the incident occurred at Kanto Sabal village adjoining Leimakhong (Chingmang), following which the Army Columns resorted to retaliatory fire in a controlled manner, mindful of the presence of villagers in the area.
The miscreants also set three houses on fire during the incident in the Chinmang village, which was later doused by the Army.
“After a couple of hours of calm, unprovoked firing started again from Meitei Village of Kanto Sabal around 2.35 am and continued till 3 am,” sources added.
Situation remains tense in Manipur
Clashes had first broken out in the northeastern state on May 3 following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ which was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. The Meiteis constitute almost 53 per cent of the state’s population and reside mostly in the Imphal Valley, while the Tribals Nagas and Kukis account for the remaining 40 per cent of the population in the hill districts. Nearly 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles personnel have been deployed in Manipur aiming to restore peace.
The violence has claimed over 100 lives so far.
Amit Shah visits Manipur
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the violence-hit state and held several key meetings. He said on June 1 that a high-level Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team will investigate the six incidents of violence in the state which hint at a conspiracy.
“Several agencies are working in Manipur to investigate violent incidents. High-level CBI probe in 6 incidents of violence that hint at a conspiracy. We will make sure that the investigation is fair,” he said.
“Central Government has constituted a committee to probe into these incidents headed by a retired judge of the High Court. The Governor of Manipur will head a peace committee with members of Civil society,” Shah added.
The situation in Manipur continues to remain grim.
(With PTI inputs)
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