Firing aftermath fire engulfs forest in Manipur

IMPHAL, February 1: A combined force of police commandos and Assam Rifles rushed to Sangaithel area and opened several rounds of fire. After the firing, a wild fire mysteriously broke out engulfing a 100 hectare forest located in between Waikhurok and Ningthourok under Saparmeina police station today at about 11 am. According to villagers of Sangaithel and Tairenkok, they saw police commandos head towards the direction of Loktak Catchment Plantation Forest located at Waikhurok in six Gypsys today at about 8 am. Minutes later they heard gunshots, said the villagers. The villagers said they heard news of the forest catching fire after some minutes of the gunfire. As soon as the villagers received news of the fire, the villagers led by the Beat Officer of the Forest went to the site of the fire and tried to stop it. However, they were debarred from proceeding further by the security team, they said. When the villagers went to the spot after the police had left they saw the forest reduced to cinders. Many trees including pine trees were reduced by the inferno, they said. Speaking to a team of reporters, villagers of the area said they saw a combined force of police commandos and Assam Rifles head towards the area in around 17 Gypsys after passing through Sairenkhul today at about 7 am. The security forces also questioned one labourer and tried to take him away. The labourer was working at the graveyard of Sairenkhul, said the villagers. However, the women folk of the area intervened and stopped the security personnel from taking the labourer away. The combined force also conducted search operations at Tairenpokpi. The security forces also allegedly assaulted a teacher of Tairenpokpi English school, alleged the villagers. Later the combined force made their way towards the Loktak Catchment Forest, they said. Later the villagers said they heard the loud reports of gunfire and the forest caught fire after the shooting. Many villagers had gone to the forest to collect firewood when the fire broke out, said the villagers. When the villagers and women folk rushed near the forest area to fight the fire they were stopped by the security forces, the villagers alleged. The villagers and meira paibis visited the site of fire after the security forces had left. However no one was injured in the shooting or fire, they said.