Militants launched a brazen attack on police commandos stationed in the border town of Moreh on Saturday night. The barracks housing the commandos were damaged in the assault, which involved heavy gunfire as attackers used rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). Four commandos sustained minor injuries.#Manipur#ChinKukiZo terrorists fired RPG to the securityforces stationed at Moreh in the night. No reports of any injury so far.@AmitShah ji isnt it time to do a massive combing operation with the help of central forces 2 flush out BurmeseTerrorists frm Indian soil#31stDecember pic.twitter.com/pRns7q6RFo— Bbung Senjam (@BbungSenja63534) December 31, 2023Double whammy for PoliceThe attack in Moreh came just hours after another unit of Manipur Police commandos travelling on the Imphal-Moreh highway was ambushed during the day. One commando was injured in the afternoon attack as they faced heavy gunfire directed at their convoy.Militants exploit darknessOfficials revealed that the midnight assault on the barracks targeted commandos as they slept. Taking advantage of the darkness and cover of nearby hills, the militants engaged in a sustained firefight for nearly 30 minutes. The blast from the RPG inflicted minor injuries on four commandos, with one possibly suffering ear damage. Following the attack, top officials from the Assam Rifles rushed to Moreh, which is nearer to the Myanmar border. The incident has put Moreh on high alert, with a curfew reimposed as security forces hold crucial meetings amidst the tense atmosphere.Kaikholal Haokip, the spokesperson for the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, an umbrella group for Kuki residents in the region, confirmed the attack on commandos by unidentified gunmen. Ethnic clashes flare againThe attack on the police underscores the fragile state of peace in Manipur. Just hours before the midnight assault, a gunfight erupted between Meitei and Kuki village volunteers on Saturday morning, tragically claiming the life of a Meitei man. This incident follows another deadly clash on December 4 in the Tengnoupal district, where 13 individuals lost their lives.Months of ethnic strife displace thousandsSince early May, Manipur has been gripped by ethnic violence between the Meitei, the states dominant community, and the tribal Kukis. The clashes started on May 3. This ongoing conflict has claimed 197 lives, according to official figures, and displaced over 50,000 people from both communities. The tension has also fueled the formation of community-based armed village defence volunteers, often equipped with weapons.
