Unidentified armed miscreants intercepted a truck transporting construction materials for an upcoming Indian army barrack in Manipur on Friday and set fire to it. The driver of the truck and the co-pilot were also assaulted physically, officials said.

The truck was transporting sand for the construction of a barrack for the India Reserve Battalion when it was hijacked by the armed men near Moreh in the Tengnoupal district of Manipur along the Indo-Myanmar border.

Subsequently, the driver and the co-pilot were beaten up by the men who alleged them of transporting the sand illegally. The police found the Tata tipper truck burnt to the ground at around 8 am today. Meanwhile, a purported video of the assault has been circulating on social media which shows the duo tied up and assaulted with sticks.

The police said that the unidentified assailants took away with the phones of the driver, idenfied as Mohammed Elaa, aged 30 years, and the co-pilot, Mohammed Emin, aged 29. Both are residents of Kairang in the Imphal East district.

Subsequent reports stated that the incident took place at around 1:30 am on the previous night as they were returning to their vehicle after delivering the sand at the Moreh police IB.

According to their statements recorded by the police, they were stopped near Chahnou village, blindfolded and taken by Kuki men. A case was registered in connection with the matter by the Moreh Police who have initiated a search operation for the perpetrators. Additionally, the social group My Manipur has voiced their concern and condemned the shocking incident of violence disturbing peace in the region.