Imphal, 15 July (HS): Violence erupted in Manipur's Senapati district on Tuesday night after a protest outside an Assam Rifles Company Operating Base (COB), leaving several vehicles damaged and heightening tensions in the area.

The unrest followed social media posts alleging a confrontation between the Assam Rifles and the Huthrong Brigade Headquarters of the Naga Army at Oklong village in the Mao-Maram subdivision. The messages urged residents to gather at Senapati town's traffic point, prompting a large crowd to march towards the Assam Rifles camp and demand the withdrawal of security personnel from Oklong.

As the demonstration intensified, protesters allegedly set a parked Alto car and a nearby waiting shed on fire outside the COB gate. Later, after reports emerged that the Assam Rifles had pulled back from Oklong, the crowd reportedly attacked returning security vehicles, overturning an Assam Rifles truck and torching two Gypsy vehicles.

Security forces used tear gas shells to disperse the protesters and bring the situation under control.

The reported sequence of events, the full extent of the damage and any casualties or injuries had not been independently verified at the time of filing this report.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash