Mon Nov 18 09:39:36 UTC 2024: **Manipur Protests Turn Deadly: One Killed in Jiribam Clashes**
IMPHAL, Manipur — A protester was killed and several properties vandalized during clashes between security forces and a mob in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Sunday night, November 17, 2024. Police confirmed the death of K. Athouba, in his twenties, but haven’t definitively stated who fired the fatal shots, despite eyewitness accounts implicating security forces.
The violence erupted as agitators protested the recent abduction and killing of women and children by militants. The mob targeted the offices of the Congress and BJP parties, and the home of Jiribam’s Independent MLA, setting fire to seized furniture and documents. Earlier on Sunday, another body was discovered near Jiribam town, its identity still unconfirmed.
Meanwhile, Imphal Valley remains under curfew with internet services suspended following widespread vandalism targeting the properties of ministers and legislators. The National People’s Party (NPP) withdrew its support from the BJP-led government, citing its failure to resolve the ongoing crisis, though this won’t affect the BJP’s majority.
This latest surge in violence follows the disappearance of six people from a displaced persons camp after a gunfight between armed men and security forces resulted in the deaths of ten Kuki youths. The bodies of five of the missing individuals have since been found in the Barak and Jiri rivers. A BJP MLA’s ancestral home was also vandalized in Imphal Valley. Security forces prevented an attempt to attack the Chief Minister’s residence.
The unrest, which began last May, has claimed over 220 lives and displaced thousands. Jiribam, previously unaffected, has experienced escalating violence since June. The situation remains tense, with intensified security patrols in Imphal and increased deployments around key locations.
First Piper 