GUWAHATI: Ten armed men were killed in a gunfight with security forces in India’s remote northeastern state of Manipur on Monday after trying to attack a police station, officials said.
Manipur has been suffering unrest since last year, when the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis clashed after a court ordered the state government to consider extending special economic benefits and quotas in government jobs and education enjoyed by the Kukis to the Meiteis as well.
The state of 3.2 million people has been divided into two ethnic enclaves — a valley controlled by the Meiteis and the Kuki-dominated hills — since the conflict began in May 2023.
The areas are separated by a stretch of no-man’s land monitored by federal paramilitary forces. At least 250 people have been killed and some 60,000 displaced.
State police described Monday’s attackers as “armed militants,” saying in a statement that security forces and police had responded fiercely and brought the situation under control after around 45 minutes of heavy gunfire.
Krishna Kumar, deputy commissioner of Manipur’s Jiribam district, where the incident took place, said “miscreants” who attacked a police station had been killed by central security forces.
However, the Hmar Students’ Association, a tribal body representing the Hmars — a sub-group of the Kuki tribal community — alleged that “village volunteers” had been killed in a “premeditated massacre” by federal and state security forces and “Meitei militants.”
Kumar said the region had been tense since last week, when a 31-year-old tribal woman was burned and killed.
One security officer was critically injured, said a local police official who asked not to be named since he was not authorized to speak to media.
Ten killed in India’s Manipur after firefight with security forces
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Ten killed in India’s Manipur after firefight with security forces
- Manipur has been suffering unrest since last year after clash between majority Meitei community, tribal Kukis
- State police say ten “armed militants” were killed in gunfight with security forces after attacking police station
Russia says two crew members from US-seized tanker released
- “Two Russian sailors have been released and are on their way home to Russia,” Zakharova said
- Russia announced earlier this month that the US had decided to release the Russian duo
MOSCOW: Moscow said Wednesday two Russian crew members of a tanker seized this month by the United States in the Atlantic had been released and were on their way home.
US authorities took over the Russian-flagged vessel earlier this month, alleging it was part of a shadow fleet carrying oil from countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
The United States said publicly that the Marinera’s crew could be prosecuted. Russia said that would be “categorically unacceptable” and accused Washington of stoking tensions and threatening international shipping.
“Two Russian sailors have been released and are on their way home to Russia,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday.
Russia announced earlier this month that the United States had decided to release the two Russian crew members, but last week its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the decision had not yet been implemented.
The captain and the first officer of the tanker have left UK waters, Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris told a court hearing Tuesday, Press Association news agency reported.
“The captain and the first officer are now aboard the US Coast Guard vessel Munro and have departed the United Kingdom’s territorial sea,” Charteris said.
Twenty-six of the 28 crew have left the ship, officials told AFP. They were processed at a military site in Inverness, Scotland, the court was told, according to Press Association.
Five wanted to travel to the United States and 21 elsewhere. None have claimed asylum, the court heard.
“At the request of the US authorities, crew members have been allowed to disembark for onwards travel,” a UK government spokesperson told AFP Wednesday.
“They will be processed in line with all appropriate immigration and legal requirements.”
Britain was not involved in the movement of the other two crew members, the government said.
The United States seized the tanker, previously known as Bella 1, which was being escorted by the Russian navy, after chasing it from near the Venezuelan coast.
It was re-flagged and re-named to bring it under Russian jurisdiction in a bid to discourage the United States from trying to take it as part of its campaign against Venezuela.
