IMPHAL, Oct 3: In a violent escalation of tensions, a mob stormed a police station in Ukhrul town, Manipur, looting weapons during a clash between two groups, officials confirmed on Thursday. The violence, which erupted over the cleaning of a disputed plot of land as part of the Swachhata Abhiyan, resulted in the death of three people and left 20 others injured in the ensuing gunfight.
According to officials, the mob, primarily composed of youth, attacked the police station at Wino Bazar while the violence was still ongoing. Although the exact number and types of weapons stolen remain unconfirmed pending investigation, unofficial sources claimed that AK-47s and INSAS rifles were among the arms looted.
Prohibitory orders were swiftly imposed, and mobile internet services suspended in Ukhrul following the clash. The two groups involved in the violence belong to the Naga community, marking the first significant incident of its kind in a Naga-majority area. Previous looting of arms in Manipur has been reported mainly from areas dominated by Meiteis and Kukis, two warring ethnic groups embroiled in the region’s ongoing conflict.
One official noted that the Ukhrul police station is located just a few meters away from an Assam Rifles camp, further intensifying concerns over security lapses. The Additional Director General of Police, L Kailun, had issued instructions to district SPs and officers to be on “high alert” to secure arms and ammunition, though it is unclear if this directive came before or after the attack on the police station.
The violent confrontation on Wednesday, which left three dead, was triggered by a dispute over the ownership of a piece of land. Both groups involved in the gunfight hail from the Tangkhul Naga community, though they are from different villages, each laying claim to the contested plot. Among the deceased was a Manipur Rifles personnel who was on duty during the incident.
In response to the violence, 10 critically injured individuals were transported to a hospital in Imphal, while others received treatment at the Ukhrul district hospital. Additional forces were deployed to Ukhrul in an effort to restore calm in the district.
Three Tangkhul Naga legislators called for peace in the aftermath of the incident, urging villagers to settle the matter through dialogue rather than violence. Prohibitory orders under BNSS Section 163 were enforced in the town, and internet services remain suspended as authorities work to bring the situation under control.
The northeastern state of Manipur has been reeling from ethnic clashes since May 2023, with escalated violence reported since last month. Over 200 people have lost their lives, and thousands have been displaced amid ongoing conflicts between Meiteis, who are based in the Imphal Valley, and Kukis, who reside in the adjacent hill regions.
