NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A gun battle between Indian security forces and insurgents in Manipur state killed one security personnel and wounded two others early on Tuesday, the army said, days after many militants were killed there in an operation following deadly ethnic clashes.
The northeastern state bordering Myanmar has been tense in the past few weeks, with rioting and ethnic clashes killing at least 60 people and displacing 35,000 since early May. More than 30 militants were killed last month after security forces launched a massive crackdown.
“Intermittent firing between security forces & a group of insurgents took place throughout the night of 05/06 June,” the Indian Army said on Twitter. “Security forces effectively retaliated to the fire.”
It said a soldier from the Border Security Force died and two personnel from Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force with a focus on India’s northeast, were wounded.
“Search operations (are) in progress,” the army said.
The ethnic violence began when tribal groups clashed with the majority Meitei community over economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes. Tribal communities are worried about a possible extension of their benefits to the Meiteis.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Kim Coghill)
