At least five killed as ethnic violence erupts in India’s Manipur

The state government has ordered all schools to close due to security concerns following the recent surge in violence.

Since ethnic tensions erupted in Manipur in May 2023, over 225 people have been killed and approximately 60,000 displaced [Bullu Raj/AP Photo].

At least five people, including one civilian, have been killed in violence between two warring ethnic communities in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, according to authorities.

For over a year, Manipur has been plagued by periodic violence between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and the mainly Christian Kukis, with tensions centered around economic benefits, government jobs, and education quotas.

A court had previously ordered the state government to extend benefits enjoyed by the Kukis to the Meiteis, exacerbating tensions.

On Saturday, new clashes and gunfire erupted in the Jiribam district, near India’s border with Myanmar. Krishna Kumar, deputy commissioner of Jiribam, reported that fighting between armed groups from both communities began early in the day. The Press Trust of India news agency stated that one civilian was shot while asleep, and four armed individuals were killed in subsequent exchanges of fire.