Manipur, a northeastern state in India, was placed on high alert following intelligence reports suggesting the possible arrival of 900 suspected Kuki militants from Myanmar, a senior security official announced on Friday.
Kuldiep Singh, the state’s security adviser, disclosed that intelligence agencies had been informed of the situation.
Since May 2023, Manipur has been mired in conflict between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki group, sparked by disagreements over economic entitlements and quotas.
India has heightened security in hill districts of Manipur, home to the Kuki tribes, following intelligence reports of potential militant infiltration from Myanmar.
“The border police have been alerted, and combing operations are underway,” said Kuldiep Singh, Manipur’s security adviser.
The Kuki community, with ethnic links to Myanmar’s Chin tribe, has been under scrutiny after recent drone attacks involving explosives, which officials claim were carried out by Kuki militants.
However, Kuki representatives have denied involvement in the attacks.
Following the recent attacks, large protests were organized in Imphal by Meitei groups demanding stronger action against Kuki militants.
In spite of ongoing efforts to restore peace, sporadic clashes continue, with 11 deaths reported earlier this month.
Since May of last year, the conflict has resulted in at least 237 deaths and displaced over 60,000 people in Manipur, which has a population of 3.2 million.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed the unrest on an influx of refugees after Myanmar’s military coup in 2021. In response, the government revoked a long-standing visa-free movement policy along the 1,650-km border and announced plans to build a border fence at an estimated cost of 310 billion rupees ($3.71 billion).
These criteria have faced criticism from Kuki groups due to their connections across the border.
The state of Manipur is divided into two ethnic enclaves: a Meitei-controlled valley and Kuki-dominated hills, separated by a no-man’s land overseen by federal paramilitary forces.
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