Manipur security officials dispute intel on Kuki militants entering from Myanmar, CMO retracts claim

It is significant that on September 17, an intelligence report from the Manipur chief minister’s office was “leaked” and circulated widely claiming that “over 900 Kuki militants, newly trained in drone-based bombs, projectiles, missiles, and jungle warfare, have entered Manipur from Myanmar"

The report which was vehemently denied by Kuki-Zo civil society groups suggested that these militants are organised into units of 30, are “scattered on the periphery", and are “expected to launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages around September 28".

On September 20

The security advisor Mr Kuldiep Singh on September 20 told reporters that security agencies, especially the Assam Rifles, had been placed on high alert in the hill districts bordering Myanmar following the intelligence input. He had also claimed that the issue was discussed in a Strategic Operation Group meeting he chaired, which included top officials from various security forces such as the Army, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, and state police.

The statement of the security adviser had not only created bitterness but also prompted the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum to accuse the security adviser of promoting “devious propaganda to defame the Kuki-Zo people and use it as a pretext to attack Kuki-Zo volunteers".

The statement that also heightened the tension and disbelief between the two communities of the state was retracted by Manipur's two top security officials in ia “clarification" on Wednesday evening, stating that “the input was verified from different quarters, but it could not be substantiated on the ground".

Soon after the joint statement, the chief minister's office also communicated with the Information and Public Relations Department, as well as security officials, retracting its earlier claims.

Two Kuki apex bodies declared a total shutdown in all Kuki-inhabited regions and issued a public statement asserting that the claim of the state security adviser was baseless.

The statements were released on Tuesday by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), an apex Kuki organization, and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), another Kuki group, both based in Churachandpur, Manipur.