Imphal: A mob stormed a police station in Manipur’s Ukhrul town and looted arms during a clash between two groups, officials said on Thursday.
Three persons were killed and 20 others injured in a gunfight that broke out between two groups on Wednesday over cleaning a disputed land in the town as part of ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’.
Officials said the two civilians and Manipur Rifles personnel died, and several others were injured as tensions escalated between residents of two villages in Ukhrul over a longstanding land dispute. The gunfight was triggered after residents of Hunphun village reportedly interrupted students from Hungpung, who were cleaning an area on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Police said the mob later stormed the police station and escaped with eight 9mm pistols, six INSAS rifles, three AK-47 rifles, two 9mm carbines, one SLR, a Sten gun, 340 INSAS rounds, 250 carbine rounds, 201 rounds of 9mm, 180 rounds of AK-47, and 10 rounds of SLR.
It was the latest in a series of incidents involving mobs storming police stations and armouries to loot weapons and ammunition since ethnic violence between the dominant Metei and Kuki communities was triggered on May 3 last year.
