Internet blackout cuts off violent Manipur hotspots from rest of world
\n Manipur
\nThe death toll of ethnic clashes among tribal groups in India\u2019s remote northeastern state of Manipur has reached 54 after another night of violence as the country\u2019s armed forces struggle to enforce law and order.
\nReportedly, thousands of troops were dispatched to Manipur state after violence broke out amid a protest staged by a tribal group on Wednesday.
\nInternet was jammed, while law enforcers were allowed to shoot at sight orders but only in \u201cextreme cases\u201d to force the fighting factions to walk away from violence.
\nAFP quoted local police as saying that a tense calm prevails after a recent scrap on Friday night, while according to The Press Trust of India, the total tally of the dead in the hospital morgues in the state capital Imphal and Churachandpur district further south has reached 54.
\n\u201cSixteen bodies were kept in the morgue of the Churachandpur district hospital while 15 bodies were in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East district,\u201d PTI reported, citing an unnamed local official. \u201cThe Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphel in Imphal West district reported 23 dead.\u201d
\nManipur Director General of Police P Doungel told reporters on Friday that security forces were bringing the situation under control.
\nArmy patrols had \u201cgone a long way to quell the thing off\u201d, he said.
\nSecurity forces and the Manipur government have yet to issue an official death toll for this week\u2019s violence.
\nBut India\u2019s law minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters today that \u201cmany lives have been lost\u201d after days of clashes alongside damage to property.
\nThe suspension of internet services has slowed down the flow of information from Manipur and the current situation on the ground after the latest clashes on Friday is not clear.
\nAn Indian army unit based in neighbouring Nagaland state said 13,000 people had sought shelter from the violence \u201cwithin military premises\u201d.
\nOn Thursday, security forces fired tear gas in Imphal to disperse protesters, some of whom had set alight vehicles and houses in parts of the city.
\nCharred vehicles were seen on streets otherwise empty due to the imposition of a round-the-clock curfew.
\nDefence officials said Friday that additional troops had been brought into the state by road and air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Internet blackout cuts off violent Manipur hotspots from rest of world Manipur The death toll of ethnic clashes among tribal groups in India\u2019s remote northeastern state of Manipur has reached 54 after another night of violence as the country\u2019s armed forces struggle to enforce law and order. Reportedly, thousands of troops were dispatched to Manipur […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":329803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-329786","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n