The Manipur government has extended the curfew relaxation period by one hour in Imphal East and West districts in view of improvement in law and order situation, an official statement said.

The curfew relaxation period in the twin Imphal districts was now from 5 am to 8 pm.

Separate orders issued by the office of the district magistrates of the two districts said that "there is a considerable improvement in law and order and there is a need to relax the restriction of movement to facilitate general public to purchase essential items including medicines and food items".

The curfew relaxation period in other valley districts of Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur remained unchanged from 5 am to 5 pm.

A separate press release issued by the Manipur Police Control Room stated that the "situation in the state was still volatile and tense but under control" and that "security forces conducted search operations in the vulnerable and fringe areas of the state".

Meanwhile, Kom Union Manipur president Serto Ahao Kom (45) was hospitalised after being physically assaulted by militants near Chingphei village in Churachandpur district on late on Tuesday, officials said.

Serto, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Imphal, told reporters that militants accused him of having links with Meitei bodies such as Arambai Tengol, Meitei Leepun and COCOMI.

More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur 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.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

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