Over 900 Additional Security Personnel Deployed As Fresh Violence Erupts In Manipur

The central government has dispatched over 900 additional security personnel to Manipur, which has been facing ethnic violence for the past three months. This move comes as tensions rise between the Kuki-Zo-Chin tribes and the Meiteis.

As per reports, the Home Ministry sent 10 more companies, comprising about 900 personnel from CRPF, BSF, ITBP, and SSB, to the state. They arrived in Imphal, the capital of Manipur, on Saturday night and will be deployed in various districts across the northeastern state.

Since the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, the Defence Ministry and Home Ministry have already deployed over 40,000 personnel from the army, Assam Rifles, and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to the region.

However, the situation remains volatile, as some groups, including the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) representing the Meitei community, and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) and Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) from the Kuki groups, have accused certain state and central forces of taking sides in the conflict.

Women's organisations have obstructed the independent operations

In some instances, women's organisations have obstructed the independent operations of the security forces, causing delays by setting up roadblocks. This has been attributed to distrust and allegations that some elements within the forces are showing biased behaviour.

The Manipur Police reported that they have recovered 1,195 looted arms and 14,322 types of ammunition from various locations across the state. Since the violence began, mobs and insurgents have looted more than 4,000 sophisticated arms and large quantities of ammunition from police stations and outposts.