Imphal, Sep 8 (IANS): Manipur Police said on Saturday that some miscreants tried to loot arms from the armouries of two Manipur Rifles battalions in Imphal East district, but the combined security forces deployed in these locations dispersed the mob by firing teargas shells and blank rounds.

A senior police officer said that late on Friday evening, some miscreants attempted to loot arms from the 7th and 2nd Manipur Rifles battalions, but the combined security forces successfully dispersed the mob.

“While dispersing the mob, some vehicles belonging to the miscreants were reportedly damaged. Later, while the reinforcement party was returning from the 7th Battalion set up at Khabeisoi, they were fired upon by the miscreants in which two policemen were injured,” Manipur Police said in a post on X.

It added that senior officers immediately rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

“The police are appealing to all once again, not to take law into their own hands. Miscreants indulging in such misadventures will be dealt with strongly along with severe legal consequences,” the police said.

After the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May last year, violent mobs have looted over 4,000 sophisticated arms and lakhs of ammunition from the armouries of Manipur Police and other security posts across districts.

The security forces subsequently recovered a large number of the looted arms and ammunition.

In another development on Saturday, an unidentified flying object was detected by a few individuals above the Imphal airport, the police said.

“On inquiry, it was learnt that the last flight from Imphal took off around 6.30-6.35 p.m. One of the videos circulated on social media looked like the last flight from Imphal. On careful observation, the veracity about the news of drones flying above the airport cannot be verified,” the police said.

The Assam Rifles has now deployed a few anti-drone systems on the fringe areas of the state to repel any rogue drones.