Manipur Police to carry out combing ops in areas bordering Imphal West after militant attack

Imphal: The Manipur government has ordered the state police to conduct combing operations and sanitisation in areas bordering Imphal West district where two people were killed and nine others injured in an attack by suspected militants, officials said.

Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar asked the director general of police to take steps to arrest those involved in the gun-and-bomb attack on Sunday and enhance vigil in the area to avoid any untoward incident.

"In view of recent incidents disturbing general law and order situation in fringe areas bordering Imphal West district and the necessity to keep preventive measures in place, I am to request you to kindly take up necessary action to conduct combing operations and sanitisation of areas falling in fringe areas bordering Imphal West district more particularly in the stretch from Keithelmanbi to Koutruk," the commissioner said in a letter to the DGP.

The stretch between Keithelmanbi in Kangpokpi district and Koutruk in Imphal West is around 32 km long and has been a focal point of consistent attacks since ethnic violence broke out in May last year.

According to police, militants fired indiscriminately from hilltops to the low-lying valley areas of Koutruk and neighbouring Kadangband on Sunday, killing two people and injuring nine others. Several houses were also damaged.

The police claimed that rocket-propelled grenades and drones were used in the attack.

An official statement about the gun-and-bomb attack said, "In an unprecedented attack in Koutruk, Imphal West, alleged militants have deployed numerous RPGs using high-tech drones." The use of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and civilians "marks a significant escalation", it said.

The involvement of highly trained professionals, possibly with technical expertise and support, cannot be ruled out, the statement said.

"Drones have been used in Manipur by two warring groups for surveillance and identifying movement of militants. The use of explosives through drones to target civilians and security forces at Koutruk on Sunday is new in the state," an official told PTI.

Police sources said at least five bombs were dropped from drones in Koutruk village.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence in Manipur.