Imphal, 06th July 2023: Assam security officials reported that a mob destroyed the house of an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel in Manipur’s Thoubal district after he prevented rioters’ attempts to steal firearms from the police armoury.
Officials confirmed that a 27-year-old man named Ronaldo was slain in a skirmish when a 700-800-strong mob tried to invade the 3rd IRB camp in Wangbal, 4 kilometres distant, to steal weaponry from the police armoury.
According to security sources, the jawan did his job successfully and did not enable the rioters to pillage the police weapons store.
He was a member of the IRB squad that guarded the armoury, they added. A united team of state police and central forces destroyed four bunkers in Kangpokpi, Imphal West, and Churachandpur districts on Wednesday, according to authorities.
During the day, gunfire was reported between groups of unidentified gunmen in the Luangshangol / Phaileng area along the boundary of Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts. The situation was under control of security forces, according to a police statement. When the IRB camp was raided on Tuesday, the troops initially deployed tear gas shells and rubber bullets. However, when the armed crowd opened fire, the military retaliated, according to officials.
The mob also barricaded roads leading to the camp in numerous spots in order to prevent reinforcements from arriving, but the soldiers said they got through.
The mob attacked an Assam Rifles squad on its approach to the camp. They opened fire on the crew, injuring one of them, then set fire to their car, according to officials.
