The situation in Manipur remained tense with violence spreading today to Senapati district where miscreants torched two vehicles even as Chief Minister Okram Ibobi today appealed for peace among different ethnic groups of the state.
Night curfew was reimposed in Imphal West district from this evening, an order of the District Magistrate said. Curfew had been imposed there in 6.30 PM last evening and lifted at 4 AM today.
In a message, the Chief Minister appealed for peace and harmony among different ethnic groups of the state.
Indefinite curfew continues to remain in force in Imphal East district where mobile data services were suspended since yesterday to prevent spread of rumours. This will be in force till December 25.
Unidentified persons torched two vehicles including one passenger bus at Naga Taphou area in Senapati district in the morning, a police officer said.
Last night at around 10.30 PM, four vehicles of former minister Marung Makunga were vandalised at Saombung in Imphal East district, the police said.
The police were on high alert to contain any further outbreak of violence in the wake of yesterday's incident at Imphal-Ukhrul Road where 22 vehicles were vandalised by a mob.
Indefinite curfew in Imphal East was clamped after locals vandalised vehicles on Imphal-Ukhrul road to protest against the ongoing economic blockade by the United Naga Council (UNC) on the National Highways since November 1.
The landlocked state has been experiencing severe hardship in supply of essential items since November 1 after UNC imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways that serve as lifelines for the state.
The UNC has been agitating against the government decision to create Sadar Hills and Jiribam into full fledged districts, claiming it would bifurcate ancestral lands of Nagas in Manipur.
Manipur cabinet on December 9 decided to form seven new districts, bifurcating the existing nine. Four new districts have been formally inaugurated.
Tension escalated after militants ambushed Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured on December 15.
The attack was followed by triple bomb blasts at Nagaram area in Imphal West district allegedly by Manipur Naga People's Front the very next day.
In another incident, suspected militants overpowered a small outpost of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Nungkao area on December 17 in Tamenglong district and fled with nine service weapons.
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