Fresh firing near Manipur’s Bishnupur–Churachandpur border; security stepped up

Additional security forces were deployed on Wednesday in the peripheral areas of Manipur’s Bishnupur district after unidentified persons fired several rounds of gunshots late on Tuesday, officials said.

The firing was reported around 9 pm near Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai villages, which lie along the Bishnupur–Churachandpur border. A senior official said no injuries were reported, but the incident heightened tensions in the area.

“Nobody was injured in the incident. The situation remains calm but tense in the district, with no reports of fresh firing. Additional security forces have also been deployed in the peripheral areas of Bishnupur,” the official said.

An investigation has been launched into the incident, though no arrests have been made so far, he added.

Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai were among the first areas where ethnic violence erupted on 3 May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The latest firing has revived fears among residents who had only recently begun returning to their homes.

Officials said several displaced people, particularly women and children who had returned to the vicinity of Phougakchao Ikhai after nearly two years, fled again following the gunshots and sought shelter in safer locations.

The incident occurred just hours after Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh visited neighbouring Churachandpur district. During his visit, Singh held meetings with senior officers to review the security situation.

In a statement, the police said the DGP chaired a “comprehensive review meeting to assess the prevailing security situation and preparedness” in the district.

Security agencies remain on alert amid concerns that sporadic incidents could destabilise the fragile calm in parts of the state that have witnessed prolonged ethnic violence.