Violence in Manipur: Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act reintroduced in 5 districts including Jiribam | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In view of renewed violence in Manipur, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been reintroduced in six police station areas in five districts of the state, including violence-hit Jiribam, the Home Ministry said on Thursday.

According to the order, the Center has declared six police stations in five districts of Manipur — Imphal West, Imphal East, Jiribam, Kangpokpai and Bishnupur — as ‘disturbed areas’ under AFSPA.
The police station areas where AFSPA has been reintroduced are Sekmai and Lamsang in Imphal West district, Lamlai in Imphal East district, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi and Moirang in Bishnupur.
The Center had excluded these areas from the AFSPA notification issued for six months from October 1, 2024. The extension applied to the entire state, except 19 police station areas in the Imphal Valley, which were exempt due to their relatively stable conditions compared to other areas. regions.

Jiribam encounter

The new decision to bring six of the excluded police station areas under the AFSPA comes days after a major encounter took place in Manipur’s Jiribam, resulting in the death of 11 suspected militants during a gunfight with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel ).
The clash took place on November 11 in the Jakurador Karong area of ​​Borobekra sub-division where heavily armed militants attacked the Borobekra police station and a nearby CRPF camp. The militants, dressed in camouflage and equipped with sophisticated weapons, started the attack by firing indiscriminately at the security forces and then set fire to several shops in the nearby market area.
A day later, six civilians, including women and children, were abducted by armed militants from the same district.
In response to the violence, local authorities in Jiribam imposed a curfew to prevent further unrest.
This incident is part of an ongoing procedure ethnic tensions in Manipurwhich have escalated since May 2023 due to conflicts between different ethnic groups, especially between the Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo tribes. This unrest has resulted in at least 237 deaths and the displacement of more than 60,000 people
The region has seen numerous violent incidents resulting in significant casualties and displacement.