Security heightened in Manipur after violence, anti-drone systems in place

The use of the remote-controlled small flying device as a weapon was first seen on September 1 in Koutruk village in the Imphal West district

Imphal: Security was heightened in Manipur on Sunday following the fresh bout of violence that left several people dead, officials said. The situation was tense but under control, they said.

“No new incidents of violence have so far been reported on Sunday. SPs of various districts in coordination with security forces are continuously monitoring the situation,” an official said.

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The Assam Rifles deployed anti-drone systems in the fringe areas of the Imphal Valley to repel any “rogue drones”, he said. The CRPF handed an anti-drone system to the state police for deployment, he added.

The use of drones to mount attacks was new to the ethnic clashes in Manipur that left over 200 people dead since May last year.

The use of the remote-controlled small flying device as a weapon was first seen on September 1 in Koutruk village in the Imphal West district. In the attack, in which guns were also used, two persons were killed and nine others injured.

Drones were used again in Senjam Chirang, around 3 km away, the next day, injuring three persons. Meanwhile, prohibitory orders were imposed in Jiribam district on Saturday night, preventing the gathering of five or more persons, according to a notification.

Five people were killed in fresh violence in Jiribam on Saturday. According to police, militants entered the house of a person and shot him dead in his sleep. Following the murder, a heavy exchange of fire broke out between members of the warring communities, leading to the deaths of four armed men.

Ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the ethnic clashes in Imphal Valley and adjoining hills, erupted in violence after a 59-year-old man belonging to one community was killed allegedly by militants of another community in June.

Thousands had to relocate to relief camps due to incidents of arson by both sides. A CRPF jawan was also killed in an ambush by militants in mid-July.