Imphal, Dec 16 (IANS) Suspected militants opened fire in the peripheral areas of Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Tuesday night, escalating tensions in the mixed-population region, officials said.

A police official said that several rounds were fired near the Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai areas of Bishnupur district, which borders the Churachandpur district.

However, there were no reports of injuries in the incident.

A huge contingent of security forces, led by senior officials, rushed to the area and launched a search operation to nab the suspected militants involved in the firing.

The fresh firing near the foothills triggered panic among local residents.

The incident occurred a day after around 390 people, displaced by the ethnic clashes, returned to their homes in Phougakchao Ikhai and some other areas, the official added.

Further details are awaited.

Meanwhile, joint operations by security forces in Manipur have led to the arrest of five militants of two outlawed outfits from three different districts and the recovery of some arms and ammunition during the past 24 hours.

A Manipur Police Spokesman said that the five militants belonging to the banned People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) were arrested from different locations in Bishnupur, Imphal West, and Imphal East districts.

Several mobile phones and various other materials were seized from their possession.

The arrested extremists were involved in the forcible collection of subscriptions from contractors, government employees, traders and even common people.

Security forces also arrested a drug peddler identified as Suimi Awungshi, 53, a resident of Kamjong district, from Imphal East district, along with one kg of brown sugar.

The estimated value of the drugs was Rs 20 lakh.

Intelligence-based combing, cordon and search operations are being carried out extensively in different Imphal Valley and mountainous districts to nab those involved in extortion and criminal activities in the state.

The security forces also recovered some arms and ammunition from Thoubal and Imphal East districts.

The recovered arms include an SMG Carbine, a .303 rifle, six different types of SBBL guns, three 12-bore guns, two modified .303 rifles, five pistols, and two 36HE hand grenades.

Large quantities of different types of ammunition were also recovered from these two districts.

Security forces, comprising Union and state, continue extensive crackdowns against militants, with search operations and area domination drives underway in fringe, mixed population and vulnerable areas across districts in Manipur.

–IANS

sc/khz