Manipur Violence: Mob Burns Down Warehouse In Imphal, Clashes With RAF Personnel

New Delhi: A mob burnt down a warehouse near the Imphal palace grounds on Friday evening and then clashed with personnel of the Manipur`s Rapid Action Force (RAF) when the security personnel tried to prevent them. Police said that the RAF personnel used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd as the mob tried to burn other nearby private properties. Fire-fighters and RAF jawans rushed to the area and brought the warehouse fire under control and prevented flames from spreading to the adjacent houses.

Meanwhile, supplies of various essentials, including life saving drugs, food grains, transport fuel, baby food, and movement of officials and security forces have been hit in several districts of Manipur due to the blockades of Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (via Nagaland) and other highways.

Various organisations including those of youth and women bodies have been blockading the highways and arterial roads accusing the other community. Over 4,000 trucks carrying essentials reached different districts of Manipur during the past one week through the Imphal-Jiribam (via southern Assam), which is the only highway that is open for now.

The blocking of vital roads at many areas in both valley and hill districts has become a new challenge for the security forces to move their destinations or to rush to violent prone areas immediately after any incident. A security official said that due to the blockade and damage to the bridges forced security forces to walk on foot with heavy equipment on their backs.

"These cause delay to movement of the security personnel allowing miscreants to flee after attacking people or properties," the official said.