"Manipur Fact-Check Need Of Hour": Army Flags Soldiers Vs Cops Fake News

The Indian Army has flagged as "malicious" social media posts that alleged a gunfight between the Manipur Police and the Assam Rifles in the violence-hit northeast state.

The Spear Corps in a tweet asked people "to be wary of malicious attempts at disinformation" that tries to create a rift between two agencies that have been working hard to bring peace and normalcy in Manipur.

"Manipur fact-check is the need of the hour. All are advised to be wary of malicious attempts at disinformation as also create rift between two agencies. Watch this space for all genuine updates," the Spear Corps tweeted.

Ethnic violence between the valley-majority Meiteis and the Kuki tribe, who are settled in the hills, had broken out on May 3 over the Meiteis' demand for inclusion under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. The violence has claimed over 90 lives.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Manipur last week, has also appealed for peace as reports of sporadic clashes continue to come.

Local reports say suspected insurgents set on fire over 200 houses, including that of Manipur Congress MLA Kangujam Ranjit, at Serou in Kakching district, 50 km from state capital Imphal.

A video had also surfaced showing Assam Rifles' vehicles blocking the gate of a Manipur Police station and a police officer and a soldier arguing over the matter. Sources have said it was a minor matter and was resolved.

The Assam Rifles had asked for the police's help to clear a roadblock by villagers, after which the military vehicles had to be parked for some time near the police station, sources said, adding social media posts alleging a gunfight between the state police and the Assam Rifles were disinformation spread by miscreants.

The army has been conducting surprise checks on the Manipur camps of insurgent groups that have signed the 'suspension of operations', or SoO, agreement with the centre and the state government.

Over 25 Kuki insurgent groups have signed the SoO agreement, under which they are to be confined to designated camps identified by the government and the weapons kept in locked storage, regularly monitored.

The army has also launched large-scale combing operations to recover snatched weapons, besides the surprise checks on SoO camps.

The Assam Rifles is a paramilitary force that operates under the Indian Army's control and is used mainly for counter-insurgency operations in the northeast, though it comes under the Home Ministry for administrative purposes. It acts as an interventionist force of the central government for internal security when the situation goes beyond the control of central paramilitary operations.