Imphal, 20 September

Violent protests by a section of people from the Kuki community broke out in Manipur's Kangpokpi district over the alleged detention of six villagers by security forces, officials said on Sunday.

The protests continued from 10 pm on Saturday to around midnight in Motbung and other nearby areas, during which the agitators burnt tyres on the roads and pelted stones at government vehicles, they said.

The agitators claimed that the six villagers from Kholen were detained by security forces without giving any reason. Kholen, located close to the Naga-dominated Chawangkining village in the district, had recently come under attack by armed miscreants.

Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, who also dug portions of the National Highway-2 (Imphal to Dimapur) at Motbung by using heavy construction equipment to prevent movement of vehicles of security forces, the officials said.

A few agitators suffered injuries during the demonstrations and have been admitted to a local hospital, they said.

A senior official said the detained village volunteers were subsequently released by the security forces, following which the protests ended.

The situation is under control now, he added.