Imphal: Security forces made a noteworthy seizure of a drone from a militant hideout while conducting searches in Kharam Vaiphei, Kangpokpi District in the trouble-hit Manipur. It is thought that efforts to maintain regional peace and stop illicit activity are what led to this recovery. Security personnel in Kangpokpi District also found further evidence in Kangchup Ponlen, where they conducted a different operation.
The goods that were found include thirty detonators, ten metres of fuse, one homemade mortar, nine homemade mortar barrels, twenty gelatin sticks, and thirty 12-inch single-bore barrel rifles. Two national rockets, two kilograms of lead shot, ninety-four fired cases, five radio sets, five chargers, four adapters, two extra batteries for radio sets, four bulletproof harnesses (plate-free), and one helmet were also taken into custody.The fact that such a sizable stockpile of weapons and equipment was found highlights the continuous security issues in the area.
Meanwhile, a high-level committee has been established by the Manipur government to look into the drone strike in Koutruk, Imphal West, that is believed to have been carried out by Kuki terrorists. One citizen was killed and several others, including three police officers, were injured in the attack, which took place on September 1. An “unprecedented” assault by the militants involved the use of modern drones to deliver several RPGs, as per an order issued by the Director General of Police, Manipur. The newly established committee’s duties include conducting a thorough analysis of the attack drones, gathering pertinent data, and formulating workable defences.
Under the leadership of Ashutosh Kumar Sinha, IPS, Additional DGP (Int) Manipur, the five-member committee is composed of high-ranking officers from the army, air force, and paramilitary groups. The committee has the power to add technical members as needed by co-optation. The deadline for the committee to turn in the report is September 13.
On the other hand, before being driven out of a village in Manipur’s Imphal West district by security forces, suspected Kuki militants set fire to at least five abandoned houses, according to authorities on September 2st. According to a senior officer, the militants reached the edges of Koutruk village on September 1st afternoon after they began firing randomly from hilltops into the low-lying valley districts of Koutruk and nearby Kadangband.
Meanwhile, women vendors in Manipur demonstrate against drone attacks and call for government responsibility. Today, September 3, women sellers from Khwairamband Ima Keithel staged a protest in the streets against the apparent drone strikes on Meitei residential areas, which are being carried out by Kuki terrorists.
