Imphal, Sept 20:   Kuldiep Singh, Security Advisor to the Chief Minister of Manipur, has announced that the police are taking decisive action in response to alarming reports of a significant number of well-trained Kuki militants infiltrating the state. This alarming news has prompted state and central security forces to heighten their readiness in key areas, particularly along the border.

During a media briefing held at the chief minister’s secretariat, Singh discussed the situation, revealing that these Kuki militants are trained in advanced warfare tactics, including the use of drone-based explosives and jungle warfare. They are currently organized in groups of 30 and are believed to be positioned in peripheral areas of Manipur, with plans to launch coordinated attacks on Meitei villages around September 28.

The security concerns arose from a letter from the chief minister to senior officials, including the Director General of Police and the Home Commissioner, which circulated on social media and heightened public anxiety. Singh confirmed the letter’s authenticity and the serious implications of the threat it outlines.

In response, a Strategic Operation Group (SOG) meeting was held on September 18, where Singh, along with senior leaders from various security branches, including the Assam Rifles and the GOC 57 Mountain Division, discussed security personnel deployment across crucial districts such as Churachandpur, Pherzawl, and Chandel.

With this new intelligence, security forces are shifting their focus from arms seizures to actively searching for suspects and raw materials for explosives, drones, and rocket components. They are monitoring the transportation of rockets, which weigh about 25-30 kg and require small vehicles for movement.

District Commissioners have been alerted, and inspections of road and railway tunnel construction sites for potential explosive threats are underway. Since violence erupted in the region, security operations have led to the destruction of 468 bunkers and the jamming of 15-17 drones using anti-drone technology.

To date, approximately 533 individuals have been arrested, including some involved in an attack on the chief minister’s convoy. The ongoing violence has resulted in the looting of around 6,000 weapons, of which 2,681 have been recovered. Out of these, 1,200 were looted and 1,400 were non-looted, with 800 classified as sophisticated arms.

Authorities are continuing their search for the sources of weapon manufacturing, with recent seizures including three exploded rockets and one unfired rocket. Additionally, an intruder from Myanmar was apprehended by Assam Rifles in Chandel district, though it has not yet been confirmed if he is linked to the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B).