New Delhi, November 20: Violent clashes between insurgent groups in Manipur have started taking its toll on commoners in the interiors of Churachandpur district with several people getting killed or maimed in mines planted by these outfits, sources said here.

Even after the state government signed a MoU with the Zomi Students Federation, which undertook a series of agitations in the district, to clear the mines, several incidents of mine blasts have occurred, they said.

A report said the worst-affected was Thanlon sub-division of Churachandpur district, especially the villages of Bukpi, Dialkhai, Kaihlam and Mongon which have been �a scene of violent clashes between various militant groups�, primarily between those based in the valley and those in the hill districts.

�Villagers at many places had stopped tending their 'jhum' cultivation altogether,� the report in the �Northeast Sun� said, adding that �details on the destruction wrought to property, cattle and civilian injuries are not available as no one has dared to venture into the area�.

The Zomi Students' Federation, in a memorandum to the state government, �specifically charged that the landmines were planted by valley-based underground militants,� it said.

The MoU, signed by it and the state government a few months ago, states that the latter �will initiate action to sanitise the entire district at the earliest�.

The state administration in September had given monetary compensation to the �relatives of nine landmine blast victims and 18 others, who sustained injuries in the course of ZSF-sponsored agitation,� the �Northeast Sun� said.

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