Imphal : A barrage of gunshots was heard late Tuesday night in parts of Manipur bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, triggering fresh anxiety in the violence-hit State.

Police said the firing was reported from Torbung and Phougakchao Ikhai areas in Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district. Both locations lie close to Churachandpur, where the Kuki-Zo community forms the majority.

“We are trying to ascertain whether there is any casualty,” a senior police officer in Bishnupur said, adding that security forces were alert and the situation was being monitored.

The incident came just a day after 389 internally displaced persons returned to their homes in Bishnupur after spending more than 31 months in relief camps. Their return had raised cautious hopes of normalcy in parts of the district.

Phougakchao Ikhai was among the first localities affected when ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023. The conflict has since claimed over 260 lives and displaced an estimated 62,000 people.

Despite repeated assurances, the majority of displaced families from both Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities continue to live in relief camps across several districts. The State government has announced a phased resettlement plan, with all returns expected to be completed by December this year.

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