Photo Courtesy: nenews
Imphal: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has authorized the deployment of two elite battalions from the Central Reserve Police Force's Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) to Manipur. This move aims to intensify security operations and restore stability in the state, which has been gripped by ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
Official records indicate that the 207th CoBRA Battalion, currently based in West Bengal, and the 210th Battalion, stationed in Assam, will arrive in the state over the coming weeks. Each battalion consists of approximately 1,000 highly trained commandos. These specialized units will focus on targeted operations against armed groups responsible for the ongoing violence that has claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands of residents.
Established in 2008-09, the CoBRA force was created to counter insurgency and Left Wing Extremism through intelligence-led jungle warfare and guerrilla tactics. While the force has spent years weakening Maoist networks across India, officials noted that a decline in Naxal activity has allowed the government to reassign these assets to emerging security challenges. Security agencies are also exploring the possibility of deploying additional CoBRA units to Jammu and Kashmir, though no final decisions have been made.
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