Militants opened fire at a Central Reserve Paramilitary Force party at Noney in interior Tamenglong district of Manipur leading to an intense exchange of fire, police said.
Prohibitory orders were imposed in parts of Manipur's Tamenglong district after a clash between two Naga villages over a land dispute left at least 25 people, including 12 security personnel, injured, officials said on Thursday.
Forty-two more firearms and cartridges have been surrendered by the public in five districts of ethnic strife-torn Manipur, police said. The surrender comes after Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla urged warring groups to voluntarily surrender weapons robbed from security forces and other illegally held firearms within seven days. The deadline was later extended till March 6. The surrender of firearms follows months of ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups that has resulted in the deaths of over 250 people and left thousands homeless.
According to a senior officer, during the two-week deadline for surrender of arms and ammunition, a total of 990 arms were surrendered with 11,526 ammunition.
The move comes after the Manipur high court had directed the state government to operationalise mobile towers, on a trial basis, in all those district headquarters which have not been affected by the ethnic clashes.
Registering a 'zero FIR' based on a complaint by a trader, the Manipur police filed the case in Imphal sub-division.
Two militants were on Tuesday killed in an encounter with police personnel in Bishenpur district and another militant of ZUF arrested in Tamenglong district of Manipur.
Appealing to the United Naga Council to call off its 74-day economic blockade on two national highways in Manipur, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said all issues could be sorted out through dialogue.
Over 50 armed militants stormed the house of Khangthauanang Panmei, the independent candidate, overpowered the security guards and beat up his supporters before kidnapping him.
Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag also paid tributes to the deceased soldier.
In most parts of the landlocked northeastern state, items such as rice, potato, onion and egg besides LPG cylinders and petrol are selling at rates much above the ones fixed by the government.
Massive relief and rescue operations have been launched in Manipur where a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday claimed nine lives, shattered buildings and caused panic.
A Manipur Police commando and two police constables were killed while nine others were injured when militants ambushed road-opening parties at two different places in Chandel district of Manipur on Thursday.
Maj Deswal of 21 Para (Special Force) was killed in a gunbattle with Zeliangrong United Front militants in densely forested Nungba area during a combing operation undertaken by Rashtriya Rifles and Special Forces personnel.
Tension in the state escalated after militants ambushed Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured last Thursday.
A statement issued by the Manipur police stated that the state police and central forces conducted a search operation in Tamenglong, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Kakching districts and destroyed 12 bunkers both in the Hill and the Valley.
'The Kuki-Zo are aware of this rich resource in their areas and feel the Meitei push for ST status is because of this reason'.
The electoral fate of 92 candidates will be decided on Saturday, including 12 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, followed by the Congress (18), the National People's Party (11), the Janata Dal-United and the Naga People's Front (10 each).
The Army, Assam Rifles, CAPFs and local police have been deployed in vulnerable places.
Security forces in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have mounted vigil in areas where the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (Khaplang) led by Burmese-origin Naga S S Khaplang has strong influence.
The curfew was imposed this noon and covers Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district, said an order issued by the district magistrate. It will continue till further directions.
Manipur Police has registered a first information report (FIR) accusing the Assam Rifles of blocking their vehicle after an altercation between the two groups last week, while the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace Assam Rifles 'by any other paramilitary force permanently' from the state.
The Seismological department said that the quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale and lasted for about two minutes.
Violence was reported from some places of the north east state hours before the second phase of polling commenced as a BJP supporter was gunned down allegedly by a Congress worker and a crude bomb exploded outside the residence of an expelled saffron party leader, police said.
This classification of districts is to be followed by states and union terrotories till a week post May 3, when the second phase of lockdown will end, for containment operations.
The crippling economic blockades on two national highways in Manipur entered the 93rd day on Monday, even as one of the sponsors called for a 48-hour bandh in five hill districts from midnight to mount pressure on the government.
About 80 per cent of the electorate on Wednesday voted in the elections to the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat in the hill districts. Reports from Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Senapati, Chandel and Tamenglong said that polling ended peacefully at 5 pm.
Tamenglong and Chandel districts recorded 85 per cent polling.
All the apprehended are being handed over to National Investigation Agency for further investigation.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances