Imphal: The Ministry of Home Affairs is flooding Manipur with more than 1,000 additional central security troops. The order follows a high-level review of the state's volatile security situation. Officials are shifting specialized jungle warfare units from anti-Naxal zones in central India to the Northeast.
This deployment includes the 205 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, a specialized wing of the CRPF, plus five companies of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Advance CoBRA teams are already securing National Highway-37 within Jiribam district, near the Manipur-Assam border. This marks the third CoBRA battalion moved to the state since ethnic violence flared in the spring of 2023.
These commandos bring expertise in long-range tracking, guerrilla warfare, and jungle operations honed in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. The troops are currently finishing pre-induction training to handle the specific terrain of the region. Senior security sources noted the move addresses ongoing friction between communities. The Meitei-Kuki conflict has displaced thousands, while Naga and Kuki groups remain at odds in the hill districts.
Defence officials remain tight-lipped about future strategy. They have not confirmed if they intend to launch large-scale operations against local militants. Still, the arrival of these forces suggests a hardening stance in Jiribam, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi. As one senior source stated, "The deployment of specialised forces from anti-Naxal operations in central India comes amid security concerns in areas around Jiribam, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi."
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