Manipur Violence : Suspected militants attacked the residence of Manipur minister Kashim Vashum in the Ukhrul district with a grenade, causing heavy damage to his property. Police gave this information on Monday. A senior officer said that no one was injured in the incident that took place on Saturday night. Vashum said that he and his family members were not at home when the grenade exploded. Police officers said that the walls and some parts of the minister's house were damaged due to the grenade blast. The officer said, some pieces of the grenade have been recovered after the attack and strict security measures have been taken.

The official said CCTV footage of the surrounding areas was being examined for investigation. He said no one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Vashum is an MLA from the Naga People's Front (NPF), which is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex body of the Tangkhul Naga tribe, has strongly condemned the attack and urged the police to register a case against the culprits.

Use of sophisticated weapons against security personnel

Meanwhile, Manipur Police on Sunday expressed concern over the use of sophisticated weapons to target security personnel during protests and urged protesters to refrain from using such weapons to put forth their point. Range 1 Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) N. Herojit Singh told reporters, "We want to remind the public that the police department must maintain law and order and respond to armed attacks by miscreants. Many of our personnel have been casualties during this challenging time."

Highlighting the change in the strategy of protests, the DIG said that in the recent movements, there has been a change in the methods of protest, and security forces are being targeted. According to him, the protesters are pelting stones, throwing iron pieces from slingshots, firing tear gas shells, and using automatic firearms. He claimed that we have evidence of firing from automatic weapons during the protests. Recently, an officer and another personnel of the Imphal East Commando were injured in firing from automatic weapons in Khabeisoi. There are marks of firing from automatic weapons on our vehicles in Kakwa in Imphal West district.