Imphal: The Centre will send over 10,000 more soldiers to ethnic violence-hit Manipur, taking the total number of companies of the central forces to 288 in the state.
Manipur Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh said that with the addition of 90 companies, or approximately 10,800 personnel of the central forces, the total number of companies deployed in Manipur has reached 288.
“We are getting 90 companies of forces. A sizable portion has already reached Imphal. We have been distributing the forces to protect lives and properties of civilians and monitor vulnerable areas and points,” Singh said.
He said the security forces have so far recovered over 3,000 weapons looted from police armouries since clashes began between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes in May 2023.
The forces including the police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), army, Assam Rifles, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal are working together, he added.
Singh said that a new standard operating procedure (SOP) will be set up to secure fringe areas and national highways.
He stated, “We are all together in tackling the Manipur issue. Whatever problem comes up, we deal with them together. Operations are already going on.”
The violence escalated after a woman from the Hmar tribe was allegedly killed by suspected Meitei militants in Jiribam’s Zairawn village on November 7. In retaliation, two dozen Kuki militants attacked Jiribam’s Borobekra on November 11.
While 10 were killed in an encounter with the CRPF, the rest took six members of a Meitei family hostage and escaped. Two more Meiteis, both senior citizens, were killed by the Kuki militants before the encounter with the CRPF began. The bodies of the six hostages including an infant were found in a river.
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The curfew imposed in Manipur saw a brief relaxation on Saturday, offering residents of four districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, and Bishnupur—a seven-hour reprieve.
According to a notification issued by the District Magistrate, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNS were eased from 5 am to 12 noon.
