Guwahati: The Union home ministry deployed an additional 20 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies, totaling around 2,000 personnel, to Manipur to contain the escalating violence in the state. Security sources said the MHA issued orders on late Tuesday night to airlift these units for immediate deployment.
The MHA moves comes after at least 12 suspected insurgents were killed on Monday in a confrontation with the CRPF after armed attackers in camouflage fired on the Borobekra police station and a nearby CRPF camp in Jakuradhor of Jiribam district. A large cache of advanced weaponry was recovered following the clash.
On Wednesday, a group of armed miscreants set ablaze two trucks loaded with essential items on National Highway 37 in Tamenglong district of Manipur. The trucks were set on fire at about 4 am in between Lhangnom and Old Kaiphundai, two Kuki villages under the jurisdiction of Tousem police station.
The police said eight trucks carrying essential commodities including rice, onions, and potatoes, were heading towards Noney when unknown armed miscreants stopped the vehicles and set two trucks on fire while the remaining six trucks managed to escape the scene. The police said the identity of those responsible for the crime was yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, the Rongmei Naga Students’ Organisation Manipur (RNSOM) issued a statement alleging that the two trucks were first fired at with automatic rifles before being set ablaze.
The RNSOM also announced a boycott of all supplies to Kukis in the two districts, blaming the incident on militants from the community. The organisation said that the boycott was a direct result of the Kukis’ “irresponsible and violent” actions that have jeopardised the peaceful atmosphere in the Naga areas.
It added that this was the second such incident targeting vehicles on NH 37 which along with NH 2 connects the state to the rest of the country.
On April 16, suspected Kuki militants ambushed LPG and oil tankers between the Kuki village of Tollen and Santikhunou along the highway, resulting in one person sustaining a bullet injury.
The Rongmei people have consistently urged the Jiribam police to allow all vehicles, both loaded and unloaded, to travel freely along NH 37 round the clock between Jiribam, Tamenglong, and Noney districts, a request that has been complied with and appreciated, even in the absence of security escorts.
