In a series of intensive operations spanning four days, at least 40 Kuki militants have been killed by security forces in Manipur’s Imphal valley, announced Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday. The operation comes in response to escalating clashes in the violence-stricken state, which resulted in the deaths of four civilians and one security official earlier in the day. Addressing the media at the state secretariat, Chief Minister Singh emphasized that the conflict was not between communities but rather targeted Kuki militants.
He described the militants as “terrorists” armed with high-caliber weapons such as AK-47s, M-16s, and sniper rifles. Singh further highlighted that these individuals did not represent the entire Kuki community. Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, has been present in Manipur since Thursday, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state on Monday to engage with stakeholders and restore peace.
The army, Assam Rifles, and state police launched extensive combing operations on Thursday, and Army Chief General Manoj Pande arrived on Saturday for a two-day visit to assess the progress of the operations. Officials cautioned that the casualty count may increase as the operations are ongoing across several locations. An anonymous senior government official shared that the number of fatalities and injuries is expected to rise. The state has experienced heightened ethnic violence following a directive from the Manipur High Court on April 27, which called for the inclusion of the Meities, the majority community comprising 53% of the state’s population, in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.