Manipur on security alert after 900 Kuki militants infilter from Myanmar: Don’t take ’intelligence report lightly’

Manipur is in the grip of a major security alert after intelligence inputs suggest infiltration of more than 900 Kuki militants into the state from Myanmar, India Today reported.

“They are reportedly grouped in units of 30 members each and currently scattered in the periphery and expected to launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages around 28 September 2024,” India Today reported citing the intelligence report. These militants are reportedly trained in the use of drone-based bombs, projectiles, missiles and jungle warfare.

Drawing confirmation over the intelligence report, Security Adviser to Manipur Kuldeep Singh said, “The intelligence report cannot be taken lightly,” reported NDTV. He added, “Unless and until it is proved wrong, we believe that it is 100% correct.”

It is important to note that Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) regarding drone use has not been implemented in the state by the security agencies, according to Kuldeep Singh. The SOP prohibits the use of these devices without permission of the authorities. All Senior Superintendents of Police in the districts along the India-Myanmar border in southern Manipur received the intelligence report on Thursday.

This development comes in the backdrop of clashes between ethnic armed groups in Myanmar's Chin State and other states that have been fighting the junta. Since, India shares border with Myanmar, some instances of violence have been reported close to the border. In addition to this, there have been instances where some junta troops infiltrated into India after Chin State rebels overran them.

This development comes in the wake of violent clashes between ethnic majority Meiteis and the Kukis communities over quotas and economic benefits that have rocked the north-eastern state for more than a year. This tense situation in the state has made infiltration of illegal immigrants possible on a large scale.

A day earlier, in a joint operation led by the Indian Army with the Manipur Police, a large cache of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the hilly regions of Imphal East district were recovered.