For second day heavy gunfights continue in border town Moreh in Manipur between suspected militants and state forces

The gun fight has been happening in Moreh town since 3:30 am on Monday. There were gunfights on Sunday.

A senior police officer who does not want to be named told ET, “State forces were fired upon by militants and there was a long gun battle”.Moreh is just 4 km to the west of Myanmar’s largest border town Tamu. Moreh, which is 110 km south of Imphal, has been restive as a section of people are opposing the deployment of state forces in the area. The area had witnessed a series of violent incidents since May 3.

The Kuki Zo community had demanded the removal of state police forces from the international border town.

Last week seven security personnel, including four Manipur Police commandos and three BSF jawans, were injured in an attack by suspected militants at Moreh in Tengnoupal district. A total of 11 security personnel have been injured in different extremist attacks in Tengnoupal district recently.After the attack Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh condemned the attack and visited the hospitals where the injured security personnel were undergoing medical treatment. “From different sources it has come, mercenaries from the Myanmar side, the Kuki National Army (KNA-B) KNA-R’s involvement is highly possible. We are in touch with the central government about what we are doing in Moreh and other areas, whatever we are doing with the approval and consent of the Central government. Presently also a joint operation with central security forces is going on.”Singh said, “We have seen some of the videos leaked from the terrorist groups…We are working with the Central and State forces. We are countering them, and a search operation is going on. Reinforcement has been sent. We have a doubt about the involvement of foreign machinery from the Myanmar side. It is our commitment to the people of the state that we will not succumb to this kind of threat and pressure…”