A mob vandalised an Assam Rifles camp and set fire to security vehicles in Manipur's Senapati district on Tuesday night, hours after the force carried out a search operation based on intelligence inputs about the presence of armed cadres in the area, officials said.
According to the Defence PRO, the search-and-area-domination operation was launched after intelligence reports and social media inputs indicated the presence of armed cadres near Makuilongdi, approximately 2 km west of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) NSCN (IM) camp at Oklong.
The spokesperson said in a statement to news agency PTI that the information was shared with the Ceasefire Monitoring Group, which concluded that armed cadres wearing uniforms were in violation of the ceasefire ground rules.
During the operation, residents, including women, blocked Assam Rifles personnel from advancing towards Makuilongdi and Oklong villages. The troops were instructed to exercise maximum restraint and coordinate with local residents to maintain peace and stability, the Defence PRO said.
Tensions escalated around 9 pm when a large crowd gathered in Senapati town and marched towards the Assam Rifles deployment at Naga Tophou. The mob reached the camp around 9.30 pm and allegedly pelted stones, attempted arson and damaged property.
According to officials, two Assam Rifles vehicles were damaged, two trucks were overturned, a civilian's car was set on fire and a waiting shed outside the camp was also burnt.
Personnel from the Senapati district police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were immediately deployed to bring the situation under control. Officials said security forces used minimum force, firing blank rounds and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and prevent further escalation.
A district official said no civilians or security personnel were injured in the incident. Authorities, along with civil society organisations, are working to maintain communal harmony in the area.
The incident comes amid continuing security challenges in Manipur. On 6 July, two Assam Rifles personnel were killed after suspected militants ambushed a convoy near Shangshak, about 17 km from Ukhrul district headquarters.
Security forces have been conducting regular search operations and area domination exercises across vulnerable parts of the state since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted in 2023. The conflict has claimed more than 260 lives and displaced thousands of people.
