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At least two persons were killed and 20 others injured in firing by security forces after hundreds of people stormed a CRPF camp in Manipur’s Bishnupur district and burnt vehicles during a protest on Tuesday, the police said.
A large number of youths and women were holding a protest against the killing of two children in a bomb attack by suspected militants in Moirang Tronglaobi area earlier in the day, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said.
The home minister said that the protesters stormed the CRPF camp near Gelmol, around 100 metres from the bomb attack site, burnt vehicles and vandalised properties there, he said.
“I had urged the protesters not to enter the CRPF camp and to allow security forces to focus on conducting an operation to apprehend those involved in the bomb attack,” the minister said.
But the demonstrators did not pay heed to the appeal.”They stormed the CRPF camp, burnt vehicles and vandalised portions of the camp, leading to firing by security personnel. They fired either in self-defence or in anger. Two persons, unfortunately, died in the firing, while five others sustained bullet injuries,” the state home minister said.
In an X post later, the police updated the injury figure to 20.
The protesters, it appears, were unhappy with the security forces for allegedly failing to take action against the militants.
Officials said that the injured people were admitted to several hospitals.
The police also said that legal action will be initiated against individuals spreading falsehoods on social media.
At least 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur since May 2023. The state has been under President’s Rule for nearly a year since February 2025.
