Fresh tensions broke out in Manipur’s Senapati district after a mob torched Assam Rifles vehicles and clashed with security forces following a search operation near a designated camp of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), or NSCN(IM). No casualties were reported, but the incident has once again highlighted the fragile security situation in the state.
According to officials and multiple reports, the violence took place on the night of July 14 after Assam Rifles carried out an area domination patrol and search operation in the Makuilongdi area, around 2 km west of the Huthrong Brigade Headquarters at Oklong village. The headquarters is a designated camp of the NSCN(IM).
The operation was launched following intelligence inputs that armed cadres were moving outside their designated camps while wearing uniforms and carrying weapons.
Around 9 pm, messages began circulating on social media claiming that there was a confrontation between Assam Rifles personnel and Naga Army members near the camp. The messages urged local residents to gather at the traffic point in Senapati town. Soon, a large crowd assembled and marched towards the Assam Rifles Company Operating Base (COB), demanding that security forces withdraw from the Oklong area.
As tensions rose, protesters set fire to a parked Alto car and a waiting shed outside the COB gate. Although reports later suggested that Assam Rifles had pulled back from Oklong, the situation turned violent. Some members of the crowd allegedly overturned an Assam Rifles truck and set two Gypsy vehicles on fire.
Security personnel used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.
Defence sources said security forces exercised restraint during the incident and used blank rounds where required. They also stated that local residents, including women, had blocked the movement of Assam Rifles columns during the earlier search operation. The incident has been formally reported to the Ceasefire Monitoring Group.
Security was tightened across Senapati from Tuesday night into Wednesday, and authorities continued to monitor the situation closely. No official statement has been issued explaining the full sequence of events or confirming whether any arrests have been made.
The latest unrest comes amid Manipur’s prolonged ethnic conflict, which began in May 2023 between the valley-based Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo groups. The violence has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced tens of thousands of people. Since early 2026, tensions have also involved Naga communities.
Districts such as Senapati have witnessed separate disputes involving Naga and Kuki groups over territory, residency rights and reported hostage-taking incidents earlier this year. The NSCN(IM), which remains under a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India, operates designated camps in the region. However, allegations that its cadres move outside these camps have frequently led to tensions with security forces.
