Fresh violence, loot of arms rock Manipur before assembly session

Fresh violence rocked Imphal on Sunday as three houses were burned down and assault rifles were stolen from security personnel, two days ahead of an assembly session in strife-torn Manipur, officers aware of the matter said

- Utpal Parashar

The flare-up heightened tension in the northeastern state and strained the fragile peace that was established against the backdrop of clashes between the dominant Meitei community and the tribal Kuki community that have left at least 155 people dead and displaced at least another 50,000.

"Unidentified miscreants set three abandoned houses on fire in the New Lambulane area of Imphal West district on Sunday afternoon," a senior district police officer said on condition of anonymity. The officer added that security personnel fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse a mob that was trying to enter New Lambulane, one of the few Kuki-dominated localities in the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley.