Situation Tense But Calm In Imphal Following Mob's Attempt To Loot Arms From Manipur Rifles Camp

A mob tried to target the Manipur Rifles camp which is close to the chief minister's office in Imphal West district on Wednesday.

The situation in Manipur's capital Imphal remained calm but tense on Thursday, a day after security forces fired several rounds to disperse a mob trying to loot an armoury within the camp of the 1 Manipur Rifles. Though several markets remained closed, educational institutions, government offices and the Manipur High Court were functioning normally. After the curfew was relaxed from 10 AM, vehicles were also seen plying on the roads.

Additional state and central forces have been deployed at major junctions and police personnel were seen patrolling the area near the Manipur Rifles camp.

According to a PTI report, a mob tried to target the Manipur Rifles camp, close to the Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister's Office in Imphal West district on Wednesday.

"Yesterday's attempt to loot arms and ammunition at 1st MR Battalion by armed miscreants was repulsed by combined security forces effectively," the state police were quoted as saying on Thursday.

Curfew relaxation, from 5 am to 10 pm, in both Imphal West and Imphal East districts were withdrawn immediately after the mob surrounded the 1st battalion complex, demanding arms.

Tension had been brewing in the state capital after an SDPO - an officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police belonging to the majority community - was shot dead by tribal militants at Moreh town on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) has called a 48-hour shutdown in the state from midnight of November 1 to protest against the deployment of additional police commandos in Moreh town in Tengnoupal district, where the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) was shot dead on October 31.

The state has remained gripped by recurring bouts of violence since ethnic clashes first erupted in May. Since May 3, Meiteis and tribal Kukis have been engaged in an ethnic conflict and violence that has left over 180 people dead and 50,000 displaced.

The "restriction of movements of persons outside their respective residences has been relaxed from 10 am to 6 pm on Thursday" but "the relaxation does not apply to any gathering or large scale movement of persons or sit in protests or rally which is unlawful in nature," the government orders said.