Senior officers of the Manipur Police have been sent to the Jiribam district to oversee the search operation for the six people who went missing from a relief camp following the gunfight between militants and security forces in Borobekra, officials said on Friday.

IG and DIG rank officers were in Jiribam to supervise and coordinate the efforts by the security forces to find the three women and three children, they said.

Imphal Valley-based civil society organisations have been alleging that the six missing persons were kidnapped by retreating militants after their attack at the Borobekra police station was thwarted by security forces.

Ten suspected militants were killed in the gunfight that followed the attack on Monday, according to the police. However, a senior state government official had put the toll at 11.

These six persons who went missing lived in a relief camp on the premises of the police station.

Candlelight vigils were held in Imphal and Jiribam on Thursday night, demanding the "immediate release" of the missing persons.

The demonstrators in Jiribam criticised the local politicians, including the MLA, alleging that they were not taking the initiative to find the missing persons.

A purported photo of the six missing persons has been viral on social media. Police said they had seen it but did not confirm whether they were kidnapped.

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