A constable of the Border Security Force was shot dead on Friday while on patrol duty at Mongkot Chepu in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said.

Constable Mithun Mandal was “struck by a bullet fired from an unknown direction”, the chief minister added.

He was taken to hospital in Imphal where he died during treatment. Mandal was a resident of Bhagjan Tola village in West Bengal.

The details of the incident were not immediately clear.

The incident came against the backdrop of tensions in the district.

In February, tensions between the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities escalated in Ukhrul district after a Tangkhul Naga man was allegedly assaulted at Litan village. 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.

The incident triggered ethnic clashes between the two communities at Litan Sareikhong, during which more than 30 houses were burnt.

The authorities had at the time imposed a curfew and suspended internet services in the area.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as new details are available.