High Drama As Soldiers Fire In Air To Disperse Protesters In Manipur

An army patrol that found 11 armed men in police uniform in Manipur's Bishnupur district was surrounded by a group of women protesters after the soldiers detained the men and seized their weapons, the police said. Visuals of the incident that happened on Tuesday show the soldiers being pushed around by the women, who stood in front of an armoured mine-proof vehicle and stopped it from leaving the area with the confiscated weapons. Surrounded by shouting and yelling protesters, the soldiers fired several rounds in the air to disperse the crowd. But it had little effect. A Manipur Police team soon reached the spot and negotiated with the protesters, following which the army and the police team drove out of the area carrying the confiscated weapons, sources said.