The bodies were brought from districts such as Imphal East and West, Churachandpur and Bishenpur. The bodies were brought from districts such as Imphal East and West, Churachandpur and Bishenpur. The bodies were brought from districts such as Imphal East and West, Churachandpur and Bishenpur. Amid tensions over the violence in Manipur, it has been revealed that the death toll figures have increased to 54 on Saturday. This comes after four persons were gunned down in Manipur's Churachandpur while security personnel were evacuating Meiteis, and another was killed in Imphal.
Officials told PTI that of the 54 officially confirmed dead, 16 bodies were placed in the mortuary of the Churachandpur district hospital and 15 bodies were kept in the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East district.
The security presence, which had been boosted by the arrival of extra army personnel and central police forces, was obviously visible on all main highways and places. Roadblocks and cordons have been placed in places where militant groups clashed with security forces on Friday.
A large crowd of people, including students, gathered at Imphal airport to try to catch a flight out of the unstable state.
Meanwhile, an Assam Rifles column has been ordered to collect all Naga students in Imphal on Sunday from designated pick-up places for the trip back to Kohima.
Nearly 10,000 army, paramilitary, and central police troops have been deployed in the state after tribals, notably Kukis and Nagas, organised protests on Wednesday against a move to give the dominant Meitei clan scheduled tribe status.
Meiteis make up around 53 per cent of the population and dwell primarily in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, make up another 40 per cent of the population and dwell primarily in the hill districts that surround the Valley.
Meanwhile, five hill-based militants were killed and two India Reserve Battalion jawans were injured in two separate encounters in Churachandpur district on Friday night, police said.
An encounter took place at Saiton in Churachandpur district between the security forces and the militants in which four militants were gunned down, the police said.
Militants opened fire at security forces at Torbung forcing them to return the fire. In the exchange of fire, one militant was killed and two IRB jawans were injured, the police said.
A Defence spokesperson told PTI that a total of 13,000 people were rescued and shifted to safe shelters, some in army camps as the army brought Churachandpur, Moreh, Kakching and Kangpokpi districts under its “firm control”.
The bodies were brought from districts such as Imphal East and West, Churachandpur and Bishenpur.
Many people with bullet injuries are also being treated at RIMS and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences.
“Prompt response by Security Forces led to rescuing of civilians of all communities from various minority pockets of areas affected by violence. As a result, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh and Kakching are now under firm control with no major violence reported since yesterday night,” the PRO said.
On Wednesday, violence erupted in the Torbung area of Churachandpur district during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' planned by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) to protest Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation.
The march was arranged by tribals after the Manipur High Court ordered the state administration last month to give a proposal to the Centre on the Metei community's claim for ST status within four weeks.
Meanwhile, the state government on Thursday ordered Reliance Jio Fiber, Airtel Xtreme, and BSNL to suspend broadband and data services.
The Manipur Governor had also authorised all District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, and all Executive Magistrates/ Special Executive Magistrates concerned to issue shoot-at-sight orders in "extreme cases whereby forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc had been exhausted under the provisions of law under CrPC, 1973, and the situation can not be controlled".