Senior police officials have been deployed in Jiribam to lead the search for six individuals, including three women and three children, who vanished from a relief camp after a gunfight between militants and security forces in Borobekra earlier this week.
Inspector General (IG) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank officers have taken charge of coordinating the ongoing efforts by security forces in the district.
Their mission is to locate the missing individuals, reportedly taken during the militants’ retreat.
Civil society organisations based in Imphal Valley have alleged that the missing six were abducted by militants who fled following the attack on the Borobekra police station.
The assault, which occurred on Monday, resulted in a fierce exchange of fire, leaving ten suspected militants dead, according to the police. However, a senior state government official pegged the militant casualties at 11.
The missing women and children had been residing in a relief camp situated on the police station’s premises, which came under heavy attack.
Thursday night witnessed candlelight vigils in Imphal and Jiribam, with demonstrators calling for the "immediate release" of the missing persons.
In Jiribam, protestors directed sharp criticism at local political leaders, including the constituency’s MLA, accusing them of indifference towards efforts to locate the abductees.
Adding to the tension, a purported photograph of the six missing individuals has gone viral on social media.
While police have acknowledged the image’s circulation, they refrained from confirming whether it corroborates claims of abduction.
The situation in Jiribam remains tense as security forces, under the direct supervision of senior officers, intensify their search operations.
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