IMPHAL: A major security threat looms large over Manipur as intelligence input has indicated about the possibility of infiltration of 900 Kuki militants into the conflict-ridden state from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said.
The security forces were alarmed by this intel report and the state of Manipur has been put on high alert.
According to the information received, the intruders are militants who have received intensive training for the use of drone-based bombs, projectiles, missiles and jungle warfare.
As per reports, these militants are grouped in units of 30 members each and are currently scattered in the periphery of the state.
The intel also suggests that these battle-hardened squads are expected to launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages around 28 September 2024.
Kuldeep Singh, the Security Adviser to Manipur, confirmed the intelligence report, saying that these reports are certainly accurate unless and until it is proved wrong.
The top official further added that a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) pertaining to the use of drones in the state has been enforced by the security agencies in Manipur.
Under this SOP, the usage of these flying objects by civilians have been strictly prohibited without permission of the authorities.
This major security concern comes in the wake of the recovery of a large cache of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the hilly regions of Imphal East district by the Indian Army, in a joint operation with the Manipur Police yesterday.
The operation was successfully carried out near the villages of Bongjang and Itham and it averted a potentially disastrous situation where people's lives could have been endangered and properties could have been damaged.
Notably, the northeastern state has been devastated by a deadly ethnic conflict between the majority Meiteis and the minority Kukis for over a year now.
The Meitis are dominant in the valley areas while the Kukis have their strongholds in the hilly regions of the state. The unrest stems from the dispute over quotas and economic benefits.
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