2 men found dead, 6 of family missing day after militants killed in Manipur

Three women and three children have gone missing in Manipur’s Jiribam, and two elderly men from the Meitei community were found dead, a day after 10 armed militants were killed after a clash with security forces in the area. Jiri Apunba Lup, the apex Meitei body in Jiribam, claimed the six missing persons were of the same family, news agency PTI reported.
Tensions are high in the Imphal Valley as a total shutdown has been called in five districts, following the alleged abduction of six civilians.
Police are conducting search operations to locate the missing individuals, while additional personnel from the Assam Rifles, CRPF, and civil police have been deployed to secure the area.
According to news agency PTI, purported photographs of the six missing persons in captivity of militants are doing the rounds on social media, but have not been confirmed by the police.
“This is an unfortunate and tragic incident. We are actively working to trace the missing women and children,” stated a senior police official.
On Monday, armed militants launched a brutal assault on the Jiribam police station and at the CRPF camp located nearby. The incident took place at around 2:30 pm, following which 10 Kuki militants were gunned down, and a CRPF jawan was injured.
According to IGP Operations, IK Muivah, the attackers used sophisticated weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), AK-series rifles, INSAS, and SLRs. A CRPF personnel was injured and later evacuated to Assam for medical treatment.
Describing the situation as “unfortunate,” IGP Muivah emphasised the efforts made by security forces to limit the use of force, aiming to minimise casualties. “We refrain from firing as much as possible, but retaliation is necessary when faced with heavy weaponry,” he said.
Schools and colleges were closed, markets were shut, and vehicles remained off the roads on Tuesday as the hill areas of Manipur witnessed the shutdown.
The total shutdown in five districts was called by 13 civil society organisations.
The shutdown began at 6 pm, and will continue for 24 hours, civil body International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA) said in a statement.