Three injured in fresh drone attack in Manipur for secnd day in row

Grenade-bearing drones bombarded parts of Manipur for the second straight day on Monday, with three people injured during an attack in Imphal West by militants, while an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) bunker was ransacked in Imphal East.

The attacks come a day after alleged Kuki militants attacked Koutruk, a Meitei-inhabited village in Imphal West district, with likely the first of drone bombs in the conflict-torn state, killing one woman and injuring 16.

Police officers said gunfire erupted around 5pm in a neighbourhood between Senjam Meitei-dominated Chirang and Kuki-dominated Haraothel. The exchange of fire continued sporadically until the evening. Around 6.30pm, two siblings, a man and a woman, sustained splinter injuries after militants dropped a bomb on their house using a drone, said the officers.

Also Read | ‘Saw two drones’: What eyewitness said on Manipur ‘general warfare’ attack

The victims were identified as Wathan Sanatombi and Wathan Sanatomba, who were taken to a hospital in Imphal.

Earlier in the day, Kuki militants attacked the 8th IRB bunker at Meikhan, near Sinam Khul in Imphal East, around 4.10am. The militants reportedly used drone bombs, mortars and gunfire.

Kuki militants overpowered the IRB bunker and took three automatic rifles, including one AK-47, one INSAS, and one INSAS LMG.

The IRB jawans evacuated the bunkers and took positions in a nearby safehouse.

Sinam is located about 22 km from Imphal.

Also Read | Kuki-Zo bodies hold protest over alleged leaked audio of CM Biren Singh

The exchange of fire continued until around 7.30am, when district commandos from Imphal East and central forces arrived to rein in the situation.

Later, Manipur police, along with central forces, regained control of the area and recaptured the bunker.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

A search operation was conducted in the surrounding areas; however, no recoveries were made.

On Monday evening, local Meira Paibi (a collective of Meitei women) stormed the 28 Assam Rifles Battalion in Sagolmang, Imphal East district, near Sinam. Some of them were then allowed to meet high-ranking Assam Rifles officers.

Tonjam Somorjit, the organiser of the Sinam village volunteer forceand was among the protestors who want to meet Assam Rifles officials, told the media after the meeting that the use of drone bombs in the present crisis is an “act of terrorism”.

During the meeting, Assam Rifles officials informed them that a high-level security meeting at the level of the Inspector general of police is on to counter the drone bombings.

They said state and central forces currently lack anti-drone weapons but assured that immediate security measures would be taken against such attacks, he added.

A state government official said the Koutruk drone attack is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

BJP MLA asks Centre to withdraw forces

Meanwhile, Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh on Monday requested the Centre to withdraw central forces from the state if their presence failed to halt the violence.

In a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, Singh, who is also the son-in-law of chief minister N Biren Singh, said if central forces failed to deliver, state security personnel should be allowed to take charge in an effort to restore peace in the ethnic strife-hit state. He argued that the presence of around 60,000 central forces in Manipur has not resulted in peace.