Villagers flee as gunfight in Manipur enters Day 2

Security forces and militants exchanged fire for a second day in Manipur's border town Moreh, officials aware of the matter said on Monday, triggering panic in villages around the area in the strife-torn state.

Moreh, which borders Myanmar, has been on high alert after a spate of attacks by militants on security forces, especially those belonging to Manipur police commandos. Gunfight first broke out late on Sunday, before a break overnight, which was followed by a new bout between 8.15 am of 1.30 pm, locals and people in the security establishment said, asking not to be named.

At the heart of the repeated flare-up in violence, which first exploded into ethnic clashes in May and has claimed the lives of over 200 people, is persistent distrust between the Kuki community, which mostly lives in the hills, and the Meitei community that is dominant in the valley area.

The flare-up prompted villagers to flee their homes. "Monday's firing happened at three places in New Moreh, Lhangkichoi and Zion Veng. Militants were posing as security forces and fired at the Kuki villages including mine.