Prohibitory orders were imposed in parts of Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Sunday following tensions between members of the Kuki-Zo and Tangkhul Naga communities after an alleged assault case, The Hindu quoted officials as saying.

The tensions had been building since Saturday night after a Tangkhul Naga man was allegedly assaulted at Litan village, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying.

An attempt to resolve the matter through customary practices failed after a scheduled meeting between the complainant’s family and the chief of Litan Sareikhong village did not take place, PTI reported.

On Sunday, tensions escalated after members of the two communities clashed at Litan, with persons from both sides throwing stones, PTI quoted officials as saying. This prompted the security forces to fire tear gas shells to disperse the groups.

Ukhrul District Magistrate Asish Das imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita on Sunday, citing apprehension of a breach of peace, The Hindu reported.

The orders that came into force from 7 pm on Sunday prohibit the movement of persons outside their homes and activities that may disturb law and order in the notified area until further notice.

On Monday, Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho inspected the areas affected by the clashes.

He said that he interacted with the village heads of the Kuki-Zo and Tangkhul Naga communities and added that “everyone wants to have peace”, ANI reported.

“Maybe 20-plus houses have been burnt,” he told ANI. “We are doing our best [to restore normalcy]...both communities are very positive. It has happened just because of a few individuals.”

He added that security forces are “quite active and sufficiently deployed”.

The district administration has requisitioned the services of central armed police forces, including the Assam Rifles, as a preventive measure, The Hindu reported.

Meanwhile, student organisations from both communities have issued statements on the incident.

The Kuki Students’ Organisation said the incident stemmed from a “minor altercation involving a few intoxicated individuals from both villages” and that efforts were being made to resolve the issue peacefully through customary mechanisms, The Hindu reported.

The Katho Katamnao Long, a Tangkhul students’ body, said that “no such step had been taken to rectify the situation”, the newspaper added.

Both organisations appealed for harmony.