Imphal, July 26: A group of attackers on Wednesday set on fire at least 30 abandoned houses and shops in Manipur’s Moreh along Myanmar border and the security forces immediately rushed to the areas and dispersed them, officials said.

Officials said that when the security forces reached in the areas under Tengnoupal district, the armed attackers opened fire on the para-military troopers, who retaliated the attack forcing them to flee.

Search operation was on to nab the attackers.

In view of the ethnic violence, most people  abandoned their houses and shops in Moreh, a border town, 110 km south of Manipur capital Imphal and just four km west of Myanmar’s biggest border town Tamu in Sagaing region.

The arsoning incident occurred a day after two empty buses used by security forces to transport personnel were burnt by a mob in Kangpokpi district when the buses were coming from Dimapur (Nagaland) on Tuesday evening.

No casualty was reported.

The incident occurred at Sapormeina when the buses were coming from Dimapur.

According to reports, a group of people belonging to one of the warring communities stopped the buses bearing Manipur registration numbers at Sapormeina and insisted that they would check if any member of the other community were on board.

The violence in Manipur erupted on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

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