New Delhi: The Union Government has established a high-level committee to investigate the use of drones for dropping explosives by militants in Manipur. This committee will comprise senior officials from the army, state police, and paramilitary forces.
Members of the committee include the Lieutenant General of the army's 57 Mountain Division, the Additional Director General of Manipur Police, the Major General of Assam Rifles (South), and Inspectors General from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF).
The committee's primary focus will be to work with technical experts to understand how militants are using drones to carry out these attacks. An official involved in the probe stated, "The committee was formed following a high-level meeting in the state on Monday. It will engage technical experts to analyze the operation of these explosive-laden drones, collect evidence, and assess the threat. The committee will then recommend measures to address this new threat."
Additionally, the committee will seek insights from BSF experts who have experience dealing with drones used for smuggling drugs and firearms along the Indo-Pakistan border.
In the past three days, there have been at least four incidents involving drones equipped with explosives. The latest attack occurred on Tuesday morning when a drone dropped explosives on the terrace of the Manipur Rifles post near Singla Dam. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
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"Today (02.09.2024) in a similar bomb attack using drones at Senjam Chirang Maning Leikai, Imphal West District, three civilians were injured. Security forces are in the area to repulse the attack," Manipur Police said in a statement.
Security forces were deployed to the scene to repulse the attack, police said. At least two explosives were dropped from the drone, in which three people, including a 23-year-old woman, were injured, they added. She was taken to a hospital, where her condition is said to be stable.
On Saturday night, a woman died and her eight-year-old daughter was injured in Manipur's Imphal West district. Suspected militants carried out a gun-and-bomb attack, which injured two policemen and three other civilians as well, police said. According to officials, the militants fired indiscriminately from hilltop positions towards the low-lying areas of Koutruk and neighbouring Kadangband.
Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh on Monday urged the Centre to consider withdrawing central forces from the state if they cannot effectively control the violence. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Singh argued that state security forces should be given the responsibility to restore peace if central forces are unable to do so.