Over 900 Kuki rebels from Myanmar have sneaked into Manipur: CMO

GUWAHATI: Manipur chief minister’s office has shared intelligence inputs with state DGP that over 900 Kuki militants, newly trained in use of drone-based bombs, projectiles, missiles and jungle warfare, have entered Manipur from Myanmar and are likely launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages in the valley around Sept 28.
Security adviser to the state govt and former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh on Friday said, “Unless and until this intelligence input is proved wrong, we believe that is 100% correct and any intelligence input we have to take it to be 100% correct and prepare for that.If it does not come true there are two things, either it did not happen at all or because of our efforts it did not happen, but you cannot take it lightly.”
The input as stated in the CMO’s alert on Sept 16 by secretary to the CM states that these Kuki militants “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.”
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The security adviser said all border units of Manipur Police and Assam Rifles, the border guarding force, and district authorities have been alerted.
A strategic operations group meeting took place in the chief secretary’s conference hall on Sept 18. He said planned measures have been communicated to remote areas to ensure that any militant movements are “nipped in the bud,” with intelligence shared among various agencies.
He said districts including Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Ukhrul, Kamjong and Pherzawl have been placed on high alert.
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Singh added that while traditional combing operations focus on seizing arms and ammunition, there is now increased scrutiny for materials used to manufacture rockets, missiles, drone components, and batteries.
“During combing operations, explosives and materials used in making bombs are to be checked. District magistrates have been alerted and asked to check stocks of explosives with licensed owners. All connected roads and villages within a 5 km radius towards the hills are also being checked,” he said.
He further added that 2,681 weapons have been recovered by security forces of which one-third are from hills and two-thirds in the valley.
“The availability of weapons in society in both hills and valley is not because of looting (from police armouries and police stations). They were already available much before. Single barrel breech loaders and double barrel breech loaders were there, some licensed and some manufactured,” he said.