Abyss of violence

The fresh gunfight in Manipur's Jiribam district, where ten alleged militants have been killed by CRPF forces in what police describes as a 'retaliatory fire', is yet another indicator of the severe ethnic tensions gripping the northeastern state.

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While officials have described those killed as armed insurgents, the Kuki-Zo Council—a civil society group—maintains that they were local village volunteers. In a state where ethnic divides have frequently flared into open violence, incidents like this have the potential to further derail the fragile peace, deepen mistrust, and push communities further apart.