Manipur: Mob tries to loot weapons from security camp; 1 killed, Assam Rifles jawan shot at

THOUBAL— A mob allegedly tried to loot weapons from a camp of the Indian Reserved Battalion (IRB) in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Tuesday, leading to a clash with the security forces in which a 27-year-old man was killed and an Assam Riles jawan shot at, sources said.

The mob tried to storm the camp of 3rd IRB batallion in the Khangabok area to loot arms and ammunition, they said.

Soon, a clash with the forces broke out. The forces tried to bring the situation under control and used teargas shells and rubber bullets at first. But as the armed mob opened fire, the forces shot back, sources said.

The mob also blocked the roads leading to the camp at multiple locations to prevent reinforcements from reaching there, but the forces moved through, they said.

The mob attacked a team of the Assam Rifles that was on the way to the camp. They fired on the Assam Rifles personnel, in which a jawan was injured, and torched their vehicle, sources said.

The jawan was shot in the leg, they said.

In the clashes, a man, identified as Ronaldo, was shot. He was first taken to the Thoubal district hospital, but later referred to a hospital in Imphal as his condition was critical. He died on the way to the state capital, sources said.

Ten others were also injured in the clashes, they said.

The situation is under control at present, they added.

Violence first broke out in the state after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe  status. So far, more than 100 people have died and several hundred injured, besides thousands taking shelter in relief camps.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.