A group of people has set on fire a private godown of Manipur minister L Susindro at Chingarel in Imphal East district, reducing it to ashes, police said on Saturday.

An attempt was also made to torch another property of the consumer and food affairs minister and his residence at Khurai in the same district on Friday night but timely intervention prevented it.

Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells till midnight to prevent the mob from gheraoing his Khurai residence, police said.

No casualty was reported in the incident.

Earlier, the official quarters of the state’s woman minister Nemcha Kipgen at Lamphel area in Imphal West district was set on fire by unidentified people on the night of June 14. A house belonging to Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh was attacked and attempts were made to burn it down the next day.

In another incident on Friday, after a group of armed men, who sneaked from Yaingangpokpi (YKPI) in Manipur’s Imphal East district and advanced towards the hills, firing from automatic weapons, additional army columns moved in and operations against the mob were under progress, officials said.

The armed men were advancing towards Urangpat and Gwaltabi but security forces, which were immediately deployed in these “vacant” villages, responded cautiously to avoid any collateral damage.

However, a large group of women in YKPI and Seijang areas initially prevented the movement of additional columns into the area. Army personnel moved on foot to cordon off the area, officials added.

The force also prevented the movement of a mob towards the spot.

“Area under surveillance by own columns & Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The situation is under control and being closely monitored… Additional columns inducted in the area and joint operations under progress,” the Army said in Twitter posts.

The incidents came a day after two soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen fired at them at North Boljang in Imphal West district around 5 am on Thursday.

During initial search operations by the security forces, one INSAS light machine gun and one INSAS rifle were recovered.

Shots of automatic small arms were also heard near Urangpat, north of YKPI, around 5.45 pm on Wednesday.

An all-party meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah is to be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, 52 days after the ethnic clashes began in the northeasten state.

The Congress party had announced that former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh will represent the Congress at the meeting.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, “Even so the man who brought Manipur back on the path of peace and development as Chief Minister for three terms between 2002 and 2017 Okram Ibobi Singh ji will represent the Congress at HM’s meeting. He should be listened to in all seriousness given his vast experience and deep knowledge.”