Imphal, April 7 At least two people were killed and 20 others were injured after security forces opened fire following a violent clash when hundreds of people stormed a CRPF camp in Manipur's Bishnupur district and set vehicles ablaze during a protest on Tuesday, police said.
Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said that a large number of youths and women were protesting against the killing of two children in a bomb attack by suspected militants in the Moirang Tronglaobi area earlier in the day.
The minister said that the protesters stormed the CRPF camp near Gelmol, which was about 100 meters from the bomb attack site, set vehicles ablaze, and vandalized property there.
"I had urged the protesters not to enter the CRPF camp and to allow security forces to focus on apprehending those involved in the bomb attack," the minister said.
However, the protesters ignored the appeal.
"They stormed the CRPF camp, set vehicles ablaze, and vandalized parts of the camp, leading to firing by security personnel. They either fired in self-defense or out of anger. Unfortunately, two people died in the firing, while five others sustained bullet injuries," the state home minister said.
In a subsequent post on X, the police updated the number of injured to 20.
It appears that the protesters 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 false information 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.