Claim That Indian Army Burned Oil Tankers in Manipur Is Misleading

A video showing oil tankers engulfed in flames is circulating on social media with the claim that Indian Army personnel set the tankers on fire after locals in Manipur stopped them from attempting to seize the fuel tankers.

Sharing the video, the handle Manipur Post wrote, ”Indian Army forces, who were stopped by locals in Manipur, burned oil trucks carrying fuel for the people during these difficult times of global crisis. The soldiers came to seize the oil trucks, but when they were resisted by locals, they blew them up with rockets before leaving. The Indian Army is nothing other than a terrorist force that targets civilian assets.”

Another handle Asia Decoded claimed, ”Indian Army Today: After being stopped by locals in Manipur, Indian Army personnels allegedly attempted to seize fuel trucks carrying fuel for locals and, when resisted, the army personnel destroyed them with rocket launchers before withdrawing. The incident involved civilian fuel supplies during an ongoing global crisis. Can we call them terrorists? No, because they’re not Muslims”

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Fact Check

In our fact-checking research, we conducted searches on Google using keywords such as ‘Indian Army setting fire to oil tankers in Manipur’; however, we did not find any verified news reports confirming that the Indian Army attempted to seize oil tankers and subsequently set them ablaze after being stopped by locals in Manipur.

During our fact-check research, we extracted keyframes from the video and conducted a reverse image search. Through this process, we found the same video posted on a YouTube channel named Elite TV with the title ‘Three oil tankers burnt down by irate villagers against the killing of 2 children by Kuki militants.‘

Upon further investigation, we also conducted keyword searches on Google using terms such as “oil tankers burnt by villagers in Manipur against killing of 2 children by Kuki militants” and found a report by The Hindu.

According to the report, on April 7, 2026, in Bishnupur district of Manipur, militants threw a bomb at a house located in the Moirang Tronglobi area. The attacked killed a 5-year-old boy and a six-month-old baby and injured their mother. Following this, the villagers protested and set two oil tankers and truck on a fire in front of the Moirang police station and destroyed a temporary police post.

Further escalating the violence, the protestors also attacked a security forces camp located in the Bishnupur district, situated approximately 200 meters from Tronglaobi. In response to this attack, the CRPF was compelled to open fire, resulting in injuries to at least four people and the deaths of two others.

In conclusion, the claim that Indian Army personnel blew up oil tankers in Manipur because local residents prevented them from seizing those vehicles is entirely misleading. In reality, these oil tankers were set ablaze by irate villagers who were protesting the killing of two children in a militant bomb attack in the Bishnupur district.

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