SAEDNEWS: Six people, including one civilian, were killed as fresh violence broke out between two warring ethnic communities in the northeast Indian state of Manipur on Saturday, authorities said.
According to SAEDNEWS, violence broke out in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, leaving six people dead, including one civilian. Authorities reported that the clashes took place between two opposing ethnic communities: the majority Meitei group and the tribal Kukis.
The conflict began last year after a court decision suggested that the state government should extend special economic benefits and job quotas enjoyed by the Kukis to the Meiteis. Since then, violence has sporadically erupted, leading to more than 225 deaths and displacing around 60,000 people.
Saturday marked one of the deadliest days in the recent wave of violence that started a week ago. This escalation has included the use of drones to drop explosive devices, highlighting a serious rise in tensions, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
“Fighting has been going on between armed groups of both communities since the morning,” said Krishna Kumar, deputy commissioner of the Jiribam district where the clashes occurred.
According to local media, one civilian was killed while he was asleep. “He was fired upon in his room itself,” Kumar told Reuters. In response to the violence, security forces have been deployed to manage the situation.
In light of the ongoing unrest, the government has ordered all schools in Manipur to remain closed for the day.
With a population of 3.2 million, Manipur is currently divided along ethnic lines, with a valley dominated by the Meiteis and hill areas controlled by the Kukis. The separation is maintained by a no-man’s-land monitored by federal paramilitary forces.
