Central forces, including the Army and Assam Rifles, have been instructed to permanently occupy vulnerable peripheral areas of Bishnupur district, including the hills, security advisor Kuldiep Singh informed on Wednesday.
It is reported that some miscreants who came down from the hill side towards Molngat foothill/Tronglaobi had burnt three houses in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the aftermath, many houses belonging to rival communities were burnt and damaged. The houses were abandoned houses and many of them were already damaged or burnt partially earlier.
Then, at around 9.30 am two persons received bullet injuries at Thamnapokpi foothill after being fired by suspected armed militants from the hill side, while one of the injured persons, identified as Toijam Chandramani Singh, 40, of Churachandpur Thengra Leirak, now sheltering at a relief camp in Moirang, succumbed to injury at a hospital in Imphal.
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Updating the report of security measures being taken up by the government to control escalation of violence in vulnerable areas, he said it might take a day or two to completely occupy the said area including the hills by the Army and Assam Rifles.
Besides, the CAPF and state police will also be patrolling in the Thamnapokpi and Tronglaobi area round the clock, he added.
Stating that search operation is carried out and is still ongoing in the periphery of the reported violence areas in Bishnupur district, he informed that so far, a double barrel gun, two single barrel guns, three Chinese hand grenades and 18 cartridges were recovered from suspected places.
In another incident, a person sustained bullet injuries on his finger and thigh during a firing from the upper hill of Singda Kadangband Part-1 in Imphal West by some suspected armed miscreants during the wee hours of Wednesday, he said, adding that the person has been taken to RIMS for treatment.
BSF and one Section of MR had rushed to the spot and conducted operations and dominated the area, he added.
Kuldiep also informed that the surprise inspection at militant camps under SoO is still ongoing and the final report of the inspection is likely to come within two-three days.
During the inspection, the central force team had ensured that the arms were kept in a proper bunker and not in a makeshift kind of arrangement, he said.
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Stating that trucks are able to move smoothly without any interference in the NH-37 with the cooperation of the public and local police, he however accepted that the security is still unable to manage the NH-2 for smooth flow of goods loaded trucks.
It is believed that the opening of the NH-37 is sufficient to bring the needed essential commodities of the state, he added.
When asked about the inability of security forces to conduct immediate operations soon after any attack by suspected militants in the peripheral villages of valley, he said, "Conducting operations in the hills require intelligence inputs and proper preparation”.
Stating that violence is still on as different communities have different aspirations, the security advisor appealed to all the people not to believe in any rumour and confirm any rumour using the rumour free number 9233522822 and also to make all efforts to restore peace and harmony.
And to prevent such instances, public curfew has been fully imposed in Bishnupur, Imphal West, Imphal East and Jiribam districts.
