Toll in fresh firing in Manipur rises to 3

IMPHAL: The toll in exchange of fire between security forces and suspected rioters in Manipur's Kangpokpi district a day before rose to three on Friday, with one more person succumbing to injuries in hospital, officials said.

Five people were reported injured in the firefight, they said.

Armed rioters had opened unprovoked firing at Haraothel village on Thursday. The Army said security forces personnel "responded in a calibrated manner" to tackle the situation, they said.

The mob dispersed by 10 pm, as police and RAF were employed for crowd control, the officials said.

Members of the community to which two of the rioters belonged collected their bodies on Thursday and took out a procession to Chief Minister N Biren Singh's residence here, they said.

The demonstrators, led by women, even dared police to arrest them, and were also seen burning tyres in the middle of the road to prevent police movement, the officials said.

As security personnel stopped them from marching to Singh's residence, the processionists turned violent, prompting police to use teargas shells and resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob.

Assam Rifles columns were deployed at National Sports University and K Munlai village on Thursday, after intermittent gunfire from automatic weapons was heard from multiple directions towards Haraothel village.

An official said unidentified gunmen fired without provocation in the early hours of Thursday and again in the evening.