Protesters from the Kuki tribes clashed with central security forces in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district this evening, days after the protesters tried to stop the security forces from dismantling bunkers on the hills.
The protesters had been looking to stop transport as part of their economic blockade enforced to demand the withdrawal of central forces from the hills in Kangpokpi, 45 km from the state capital Imphal.
When the security forces asked them to fall back, the protesters moved towards the Kangpokpi deputy commissioner’s office and threw stones at the building, sources said. The security forces responded with tear gas and blanks, they said.
Several protesters were injured in the attempt by the security forces to disperse the protesters, sources said.
Some security personnel including the Kangpokpi Superintendent of Police (SP) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Manoj Prabhakar were injured, sources said.
Gunfire could be heard amid the thick blanket of tear gas, eyewitnesses told NDTV.
Individuals armed with automatic weapons were seen out in the roads in Kangpokpi, sources said.
The SP office remains a flashpoint with protesters refusing to return home, they said, adding reinforcements have been sent to Kangpokpi.
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