Imphal |An unidentified man was found dead with a bullet injury to his head along the Kangla Sangom Shang-Angom Laiching Road in Imphal East district early Friday, police said.

The body was spotted by commuters around 4:30 am, following which personnel from Lamlai Police Station reached the spot and recovered it. The deceased was later shifted to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) for identification, officials said.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to ascertain the identity of the deceased and determine the circumstances leading to his death. The incident comes amid fresh violence in parts of Manipur, including Kangpokpi district, where several houses were allegedly torched earlier this week.

On September 2, at least 25 houses were allegedly set ablaze in Tiporam village under Chalwa Police Station, officials said. The incident came a day after 10 houses were reportedly burnt in three nearby Liangmai Naga villages – Tapon Khullen, Tapon Khunou and Makui Tiporam.

Gunfire was also reported during the attacks, in which a village church pastor sustained bullet injuries, according to local residents.

A Tiporam resident alleged that five houses were burnt on September 1 and that armed men subsequently threatened to torch more homes. The resident claimed that another 25 houses were set ablaze the following day before the attackers left the area. Five of the houses were reportedly owned by members of the Nepali community.

Residents said villagers from Tiporam had earlier been evacuated to Makui following the violence. They alleged that after returning to the village, the residents came under gunfire and were forced to seek shelter again at a relief centre in Makui, about 15 km away.

They also alleged that security forces had been informed about the arson but that no action was taken until the houses were set ablaze. The latest incidents have added to tensions between communities in the region, where sporadic violence has continued despite the presence of security forces.

According to reports, 17 people from the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities have been killed in separate incidents since May 13. Four Naga civilians were reportedly killed in an ambush on August 27, while three Kuki civilians were killed in an August 31 attack along the Imphal-Tamenglong road in the Kangpokpi-Tamenglong area.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the reported attacks. Investigations into the incidents are underway.