On Friday, a Kuki mob attacked the police in Saibol village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. According to the media reports, the extremists attacked the offices of the Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Deputy Commissioner. SP Manoj Prabhakar could be seen bleeding from his forehead in the video shared on social media platforms.
Kukis were seen armed with weapons and dressed in camouflage. Reportedly, the Kuki-backed Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) had announced a ‘total shutdown’ in the region against the deployment of central forces. They had been ‘protesting’ against the possession of ‘community bunkers’ by the central forces in Saibol village and the alleged lathi charge on women on Tuesday (31st December).
As such, CoTu had called for an ‘economic blockade’ until central forces were removed from Saibol. On Friday, Kukis carried out protests throughout the day. In the evening, they laid siege to the office of the Superintendent of Police and tried to seal it. They vandalised the premises and destroyed several vehicles. Kukis also pelted stones and petrol bombs at the police.
The central forces intervened and fired blanks and tear gas shells to disperse the violent Kuki mob. According to CoTU, around 15 people were injured and 11 of them were admitted to ICU. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Manipur police informed, ” Huge contingents of security forces have been deployed to tackle the situation. The situation is now under control and being closely monitored.”Meanwhile, the Committee on Tribal Unity has announced an extension of ‘total shutdown’ for more 24 hours.
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