Nine Killed In Fresh Violence In Manipur's Kangpokpi District

At least nine people were killed on Tuesday (13 June) night amid the incidents of firing and arson in the Aigijang village in the Kangpokpi district in ethnic-violence hit Manipur.

This incident marks the highest number of casualties in a single event of the ongoing incidents of violence in the state in recent weeks.

The Superintendent of Police in Imphal East said that the incident occurred at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday.

Although Aigijang is located in the Kangpokpi revenue district, it is under the jurisdiction of Imphal East, and is located in the border region between these two districts.

While Aigijang is a Kuki village, the nine bodies which were recovered were of Meitei men who were not residents of the village.

Since Monday, this border area has witnessed firing and violence, prompting a massive influx of Meitei men from nearby areas to defend the Meitei-dominated part of the area.

The Imphal East District administration has reduced the duration of the curfew relaxation period following the incident.

Previously, the curfew relaxation period was from 5 am to 6 pm. However, it has now been shortened to a four-hour window in the early hours of the morning from 5 am to 9 am.

The incident comes as a major setback amid efforts to restore peace in the state, which has been tense for over a month now due to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities.