Manipur saw a fresh outbreak of violence, leading to the deaths of five people in Jiribam district on Friday. In another incident, attackers killed a person while they were sleeping.
Police reported that a group of people tried to steal weapons from the armory of the 7th and 2nd Manipur Rifles Battalions in Imphal East district. Security forces acted quickly, using tear gas and blank rounds to break up the crowd.
A senior officer said the looting attempt happened late Friday. However, joint security forces successfully stopped the group.
While returning from the 7th Battalion in Khabeisoi, two policemen were injured when the group fired at them. Senior officers reached the scene quickly and brought the situation under control. Police urged the public to avoid taking the law into their own hands, warning that strict legal action will follow for those involved in such incidents.
In response to the violence, authorities have deployed a military helicopter for aerial patrols. They also set up an anti-drone system to target drones used by militants.
Since ethnic violence broke out in May last year, Manipur has been tense. During the unrest, mobs stole over 4,000 weapons and large amounts of ammunition from police armories and security posts. Security forces have since recovered many of the stolen arms, but violence continues.