Manipur Violence Escalates with Drone Attacks; 9 Killed in Clashes
Guwahati: Amid escalating violence in trouble-torn Manipur, where at least nine people have been reported killed in the past few days in battle between two armed groups, security forces on Sunday deployed anti-drone systems in the fringe areas of the Imphal Valley to repel any "rogue drone" attacks. Amid fresh violence, Manipur CM N. Biren Singh met governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and submitted a memorandum.
The situation in Manipur deteriorated further after several foothill villages in the valley were attacked with improvised rockets and bombs dropped from drones. On Saturday, at least five people were killed after a gunbattle erupted between two armed groups following the killing of an elderly Meitei man in Manipur’s Jiribam district.
Security sources said that some suspected “Kuki militants” barged into the home of 63-year-old Y. Kulachandra in Ningthem Khunou, about 5 km from Jiribam police station at the district headquarters, on Saturday morning and shot him dead. The incident allegedly occurred at 5 am, when Kulachandra was still asleep.
A subsequent gunbattle between the armed assailants and another armed group in the Nungcheppi area led to the deaths of four armed Kuki men and an armed Meitei man, said police.
On Sunday, according to security forces, heavy firing and shelling at Chirachandpur, Bishnupur border areas were reported. Firing was also reported at Kangpokpi.
The escalating violence has triggered speculation in the state’s political corridor that the Central government is contemplating invoking Article 355, thereby taking over the law and order of the state under its command by forming the unified command of security forces.
After a fresh round of violence, Manipur chief minister on Sunday called on the state governor and discussed the prevailing law and order situation of the state.
According to sources in the ruling party, during the meeting, Mr Singh pleaded with Mr Acharya that the unified command of security forces should function under the command of the state chief minister. Mr Singh also proposed that the suspension of operation (SoO) with Kuki rebel groups and the ministry of home affairs, which lapsed in February this year and not extended so far, should also be scrapped.
Earlier on Saturday, the Manipur chief minister led a meeting of ruling party MLAs -- the BJP-led government in Manipur also includes MLAs from the Naga People’s Front, the National People’s Party and the Janata Dal (United). According to an MLA, 24 legislators -- including six Cabinet ministers -- attended the meeting. BJP MLA from Lamlai Kh Ibomcha said that a decision had been taken to pressure the Centre to “take up befitting actions to bring the militants under control”.
“With attacks taking place with sophisticated weapons, normalcy cannot be brought under these circumstances. So, it was discussed that we should put pressure on Central leadership,” he said.
The use of the remote-controlled small flying device "drones" as a weapon was first seen on September 1 in Koutruk village in the Imphal West district. In the attack, in which guns were also used, two persons were killed and nine others injured.
Drones were used again in Senjam Chirang, around 3 km away, the next day, injuring three persons.
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders were imposed in Jiribam district on Saturday night, preventing the gathering of five or more persons, according to a notification. Five people were killed in fresh violence in Jiribam on Saturday.
Security forces also unearthed a cache of weapons after Jiribam violence. The seized weapons include sniper rifles, pistols, guns, short- and long-range mortars, grenades and long-range rocket bombs, among other ammunition.
A massive combing operation to trace militants was underway in Manipur a day after at least five people were killed in fresh violence in Jiribam district amid drone and rocket attacks.
