Tension grips Kannur as CPM-SDPI clashes intensify; 2 hospitalised in Mangaluru; 6 held

Kannur, Dec 16: A tense situation prevails at Azhikode and nearby areas under the Valapattanam police station limits in Kannur district of Kerala following incidents of retaliatory attacks on houses of rival Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Social Democratic Party of India activists over the past few days.

Four houses of CPI (M) workers in different parts of Azhikode came under attack in the early hours ofThursday. Vehicles parked in those houses were damaged in the attack. The police said the attackers, allegedly SDPI workers, smashed windowpanes of houses at 4 p.m.

The incident was a sequel to similar attacks in parts of Azhikode over the past few days. On December 13, the house of an SDPI sympathiser was attacked after an SDPI worker, who was allegedly fleeing from a group of suspected CPI(M) attackers, entered the house. The police had stopped the protest march by SDPI workers at Moonunirath on Wednesday evening in view of the tense situation.

The house of SDPI Azhikode committee president Noufal had suffered damage in a bomb attack late night on December 12.

The house of another SDPI worker at nearby Poothappara was attacked by suspected CPI(M) workers. Two days ago, two local Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers, E.P. Mithun (20) and Rinish (21), were stabbed by alleged SDPI workers. They were admitted to a hospital in Mangaluru.

The police so far arrested six workers of rival parties in connection with the incidents. According to the police, the area is tense as workers of rival parties continued to target houses in the early hours.