In the Senapati region of India on Tuesday night, an armed gang of men allegedly set fire to trucks headed for Manipur.

Truck drivers say a group of men held them up at gunpoint and burned their vehicles.

The incidents took place in the vicinity of the Manipur-Nagaland border along a national highway.

[Linda Soro, Civil Officer, Zakhama]: (English)
"Yes they (the trucks) have been burnt by miscreants. We still don't know who have done it. I don't know much as I was out of station. As far as I know five trucks have been burnt, fortunately we have not received any news of anybody being injured."

Some people suspect members of the Naga ethnic group are behind it, because it comes after authorities banned the Naga rebel leader from visiting Manipur—but there's no concrete evidence so far.

At a nearby village, ethnic Nagas had recently staged a protest demanding that their leader be allowed to make the trip.

[Kanga Regina, Resident, Maram Bazar Village]: English (Cut first and from last part third sentence to end)
"We want him to visit his native place; we welcome him, because after 40 years working outside for the Nagas, we want him back. We want him to come and see his brothers, sisters, uncles and all his Naga people."

Security forces from Manipur are now escorting stranded interstate passenger buses and trucks through the area of unrest.