Fresh firing in Manipur: No casualty as villagers retaliate, force ultras to flee

After a few days of lull, suspected militants fired at Mongbung Meitei village in Manipur's Jiribam district, officials said on Wednesday.

A police official in Imphal said that suspected militants fired several rounds from their sophisticated arms on Tuesday night and the ultras fled after the armed village volunteers retaliated.

None was, however, injured in the half-an-hour-long gun battle, the official said.

Combined security forces have rushed to the area and launched a combing operation to nab the militants.

Senior police officials are monitoring the situation in mixed population Jiribam district, adjoining southern Assam.

Police urged the villagers to help the security forces while conducting operations and to nab the militants.

Meanwhile, security has been further tightened in some districts after several incidents of violence in different districts between September 1 and 7, that left 20 people injured and claimed 12 lives, including that of two women.

After the violent incidents and students' protests against the militant attacks, the Manipur government closed educational institutions across the state on September 6.

However, after 11 days of closure, all schools, colleges and technical institutions were reopened across Manipur on Tuesday.

The Army, and the Assam Rifles, along with the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, and the Manipur Police continued their anti-insurgency and search operations both in the valley and mountainous areas.

With the improvement in the situation the Manipur Government on Monday lifted the week-long ban on mobile Internet services in the five valley districts -- Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching.

Meanwhile, after no incidents of violence in the last few days, the authorities of five trouble-torn districts relaxed curfew for 10 to 13 hours in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Jiribam.