A 24-year-old youth was killed while two others were injured after security forces opened fire to disperse a mob of ‘village volunteers’, who reportedly tried to loot firearms from the Manipur Police Training College (MPTC) armoury in Imphal East district, officials said on Wednesday.

 Sources said a large number of village volunteers attempted to barge into the armoury of MPTC at Pangei to loot firearms on Tuesday night.

 The security forces opened fire to disperse the ‘village volunteers’ and in the process three persons were injured. One of them — Okram Sanaton — succumbed to his injuries while being taken to a hospital in Imphal.

 Security personnel initially fired a few rounds of tear gas shells, but had to open fire later to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control.

 Additional security forces and a forensic team have reached the spot and further investigation is underway.

 Since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, armed village volunteers of different communities have been guarding their villages along the peripheries of different districts to prevent attacks from the rival community. More than 180 people have been killed and over 70,000 people of different communities have been displaced in the ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo tribals since May 3 last year.

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