Following the recent drone-bombings by Kuki militants in Meitei villages leading to casualties, Additional Director General of Police (Administration) K Jayenta said on Saturday that the state police have deployed anti-drone weapons in border areas and appealed to the public to cooperate in maintaining law and order.
Addressing the media at the Police Headquarters in Imphal with regards to recent events in the state, ADGP (Admin) K Jayenta said the state police have also deployed anti-drone weapons in border areas.
He further said senior officers are on the ground and closely monitoring the security situation. Deployment of anti-drone systems to repel the ‘Rogue Drones,’ surveillance and patrolling by army helicopters, and the addition of more forces in vulnerable fringe areas have been undertaken.
He also informed that one civilian was found killed by suspected Kuki militants on Saturday morning in Jiribam. Following the incident, violence escalated, and an exchange of gunfire took place between two armed groups, resulting in four more deaths, he informed.
The ADGP Admin said that the incident occurred in Nungchappi village of Jiribam around 4 am on Saturday. The victim, Yurembam Kulendra Singh, 63, was found shot dead in his bed, allegedly by suspected Kuki militants, he added.
He said that armed miscreants continued firing at village volunteers in Rasidpur village and Kuki militants. During the exchange of fire, Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma, 41, of Dibong Khunou, Jiribam district, was killed.
Upon receiving the information, Jiribam district police rushed to the spot, but they were also attacked by the armed miscreants. The district police retaliated with heavy gunfire and managed to control the situation, according to the ADGP.
Later, while searching the area, three bodies in full combat uniforms, suspected to be the miscreants involved in the gunfight, were found, he added.
However, an unconfirmed source reported that 4 Kuki militants were killed during the incident.
Regarding the long-range rocket attack by Kuki militants on Friday in Moirang Khoiru Leikai, where one senior civilian, R.K. Rabei, 78, died and six others were injured, the state police, led by the Superintendent of Police, Bishnupur district, immediately rushed to the area and repelled further attacks.
He also stated that military helicopters were deployed to conduct aerial patrols in the area where the rockets were launched.
In response to the attempted looting of arms from the 7th Manipur Rifles in Khabeisoi, Imphal East, and the 2nd Manipur Rifles in North AOC, Imphal, by a large mob on Friday night, a combined team of state and central forces fired several tear gas shells, mock bombs, and live rounds into the air as warnings.
While dispersing the mob, some vehicles belonging to the miscreants were reportedly damaged. When a police team was returning from the 7th Manipur Rifles, Khabeisoi, they were fired upon by miscreants. Officer-in-charge of the commando unit in Imphal East, K. Henery, and constable Issac Gangmei sustained bullet injuries. A police reinforcement team rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.
The injured were evacuated to Shija Hospital, Imphal.
He warned that any further attempts by miscreants to loot arms from security forces would be dealt with harshly.
In a fresh arms recovery, the ADGP highlighted that nine weapons, including one sniper rifle and one MA-1 assault rifle, were recovered along with 21 different rounds of ammunition, 21 explosives, and one wireless set from the Loiching range and the general area between Loibol Khullen and Tingkai Khullen (both Kuki villages), bordering Bishnupur district (Meitei-dominated area) and Kangpokpi district (Kuki-dominated area).
Meanwhile, fresh firing occurred at Sugnu and Napat in Kakching district, bordering villages with Churachandpur district. The firing started around 10 am on Saturday. Combined state and central forces rushed to the area to control the situation. As of 7 p.m., no casualties have been reported.
The social media monitoring cell of the police department is also checking for instigators of violence, while strong NAKAs in sensitive areas of the Imphal valley and hills have been installed to prevent the movement of armed miscreants, said Jayenta.
The ADGP said search operations in suspected areas in the hills and valley are ongoing to prevent long-range rocket attacks. Combing operations, along with central security forces, are continuing in fringe areas of Kangpokpi-Imphal West, Bishnupur-Kangpokpi, Bishnupur-Churachandpur, and Imphal East-Kangpokpi with the aim of preventing attacks by miscreants.
