Manipur violence: Curfew in Indian state after police kill 10 militants in gunfight

Tension between majority Meiti Hindus and minority Christian Kukis has fuelled unrest for more than a year

Indian soldiers stand guard in the Imphal Valley after a curfew was announced across the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur. AP

Authorities in India's north-eastern Manipur state imposed an indefinite curfew after at least 10 militants were shot dead in clashes with government forces. The incident happened after an attack on a police station in the region gripped by ethnic tension.

More than 200 people have been killed since May last year in clashes between the majority Meitei Hindus and minority Christian Kukis, with dozens of villages burnt and tens of thousands made homeless in the state that borders Myanmar. The unrest began was caused by a proposed government policy that would benefit the majority of the Meitei community.

The latest violence happened on Monday when the militants, suspected to be Kuki insurgents, launched an attack from two sides on a police station in the Jiribam district, Manipur Police said. The insurgents fired indiscriminately at the police station, with the exchange of fire lasting for about nearly an hour, police said.

“At about 3pm, the CRPF post located at Jakuradhor and Borobekra police station, Jiribam district, was attacked by armed militants. The security forces retaliated strongly,” police said on X. “The attack was fiercely retaliated by CRPF and Civil Police. After 40 to 45 minutes of a heavy exchange of fire, the situation was brought under control."

Tribal groups have accused the government forces of carrying out a “premeditated” attack on the militants. “On 11 November, 2024, about 11 Hmar Village Volunteers in Jakhradawr, Jiribam region were brutally ambushed, captured, huddled together and murdered by the combined forces of the CRPF and the Manipur Police under the influence of Meitei militants,” the Hmar Students' Association said in a statement.

Violence was reported in the Imphal Valley after the attack. The Kuki-Zo Council, a prominent tribal body, said that “11 volunteers” were killed and called for a total shutdown in the hilly areas of the state on Tuesday "to express collective grief and solidarity to those who were brutally shot dead".

The state is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Opposition parties and critics of the government have accused Mr Modi of failing to address the violence that continues despite tens of thousands of security personnel being sent to the region.

About 40 per cent of the state's population have traditionally lived in hilly areas that comprise 90 per cent of the land. Meiteis account for more than half of the population and dominate the valley areas, but have been demanding to be included in the tribal list. Such a move would allow them to buy land in the hills dominated by tribes, including the Kuki.