‘Significant escalation’: Manipur Police on use of drones by alleged Kuki militants

The Manipur Police on Sunday said that the use of “high-tech drones” by alleged Kuki militants to deploy explosives against security forces and civilians marked a “significant escalation” in the ethnic clashes in the state.

The statement came after two persons were killed and ten, including two police personnel and a television reporter, were injured in gunfire and bombings on Sunday by suspected militants in the Imphal West district, The Indian Express reported.

The state has been gripped by ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023. At least 226 persons have died and more than 59,000 persons displaced since the beginning of the clashes, Chief Minister N Biren Singh told the state Assembly on August 2.

On Sunday, the attack began around 2 pm, close to the border between Koutruk, a Meitei village in Imphal West, and Kangpokpi. The Meitei community is in majority in Imphal West, whereas the tribal Kuki community dominates Kangokpi.

The woman who died was identified as 31-year-old Ngangbam Surbala Devi. Her daughter was also injured in the attack. Apart from Devi, an unidentified man from Koutruk was killed, The Hindu reported.

“In an unprecedented attack in Koutruk, Imphal West, alleged Kuki militants have deployed numerous RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] using high-tech drones,” the police said in a statement after the attack.

It added: “While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfares, this recent deployment of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and the civilians marks a significant escalation.”

The police said that the involvement of “highly trained professionals, possibly with technical expertise and support” cannot be ruled out. “Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and the police are prepared to respond to any contingency that may arise.”

After the attack, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh on Sunday issued orders to all superintendents of police to “remain on maximum alert” and maintain vigilance along “fringe areas”, The Indian Express reported.

There should be “proper coordination” between different security forces, Singh said, adding that joint combing operations must be conducted.

The state government’s home department called the violence an “act of terrorising unarmed villagers”.

It stated: “Such act of creating havoc among the unarmed villagers, reportedly by Kuki militants, is seen as an attempt to derail the efforts taken by the state government to establish peace…The state government has already taken up immediate action to control the situation and to punish those who were involved in today’s attack on Koutruk village.”

The attack on Sunday came a day after representatives from the Kuki-Zo community took out three rallies in the state to demand a separate administration.

They were also protesting against an audio clip claiming to feature the chief minister taking credit for “how and why the conflict started” in the state. The state government has said that the clip was doctored.

‘A war crime’: Meiti group on use of drones

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, an umbrella organisation of six groups representing Meitei interests, on Monday said that the “aerial bombing using drones” by alleged Kuki militants is condemnable and a “serious war crime”.

In a statement, the group also claimed that the suspected militants “used an ambulance to infiltrate” Meitei villages under the guise of essential emergency services. The committee demanded immediate action against those who carried out the attack, adding that their identities, including the registration number of the ambulance, had been revealed through social media.

“If the state government fails to take appropriate action, public trust in the current administration could erode, leading to potentially extreme measures being taken to avenge the mother’s death and her daughter’s injuries,” it added.