Imphal: Security was stepped up across the peripheral areas of Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Wednesday after unidentified miscreants opened fire the previous night, heightening tension in the violence-hit state, officials said.
Police said multiple rounds were fired around 9 pm on Tuesday near Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai, close to the Bishnupur–Churachandpur border.
No injuries were reported in the incident, but the firing triggered panic in the area.
An FIR has been registered and an investigation is underway, though no arrests have been made so far.
During follow-up operations, security forces recovered one improvised explosive device and six locally made mortars, known as “pumpi”, from Kangvai village, located a few kilometres from Phougakchao Ikhai.
The police said the IED was later safely disposed of.
A senior official said the situation in Bishnupur remained calm but tense, with no reports of fresh firing.
Additional forces have been deployed and joint security teams are conducting intensive combing operations and area domination exercises to prevent any further escalation and to ensure public safety.
Senior police officers visited the site of the incident on Wednesday to assess the ground situation.
In a statement, the police said security had been beefed up in and around the affected areas as a precautionary measure.
The firing has once again unsettled residents who had recently returned to their homes in the Phougakchao Ikhai area after being displaced for nearly two years.
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Several families, especially women and children, fled the locality and sought shelter elsewhere following the incident, officials said.
Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai were among the first flashpoints of the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities that erupted on May 3, 2023.
The incident occurred just hours after Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh visited neighbouring Churachandpur district and held a high-level meeting with senior officers.
According to the police, Singh chaired a comprehensive review to assess the prevailing security situation and preparedness across the region.
