Another drone attack, three injured; Manipur to depoly anti-drone guns

Three persons including a 23-year-old-woman were injured after suspected militants launched a fresh bomb attack using a drone in Manipur's Imphal West district, police said on Tuesday. "At least two explosives were dropped from a drone on Monday evening around 6.20 pm at a residential locality in which a woman and two others were injured," they said.

The woman was at her residence in Senjam Chirang locality when the bomb pierced through the corrugated iron roof sheets of her home and exploded, they said. They injured have been admitted to hospital, the police said.

Militants also fired indiscriminately on the low-lying village of Sejam Chirang from hilltop positions of Kangpokpi district prompting retaliation by security forces, a police officer said. The place is located hardly 3 km from Koutruk where two persons were killed and nine were injured in similar drone bomb and gun attack on Sunday. Meanwhile, Manipur police in a statement said that a drone has been recovered from nearby Kharam Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district during search operations.

Search operations and area domination conducted by security forces at Kangchup Ponlen in Kangpokpi district led to the recovery of arms and explosives. Ten 12-inch single-bore barrel rifles, one improvised mortar, nine improvised mortar barrels, twenty gelatin sticks, thirty detonators, two country-made rockets and others were seized during the operations, the statement added.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday condemned the drone bomb attacks on civilians as acts of terrorism and vowed a firm response. Taking to X, Singh expressed his outrage, stating, "Dropping bombs on civilian populations and security forces using drones is an act of terrorism, and I condemn such cowardly acts in the strongest terms." Singh's comments followed two separate drone bomb attacks in Koutruk and Senjam Chirang in Imphal West district, which resulted in the deaths of two persons, including a woman, and injuries to 12 others.

"The Manipur state government takes such unprovoked assaults with the utmost seriousness and will respond decisively to combat these forms of terrorism targeting the indigenous population," Singh said. He emphasized, "We denounce all forms of violence, and the people of Manipur shall unite against hate, division, and separatism." The use of drones in these bomb attacks marks the first instance of "hi-tech weapons" being employed in the state.

While drones had previously been used by warring groups for surveillance and tracking militants, this represents a significant escalation, an official told. On the attack at Koutruk, the official said "police responded promptly."

"There was mobilisation of armed miscreants in many places which had seen intense conflict in the past. When the attack started in Koutruk, immediately IGP, DIG and SP and other police forces rushed to the area to counter the situation. Retaliatory firing and combing operations along with Army and central forces were conducted," a police statement said. It said police head quarters also gave instruction to all senior formations and all district SPs to remain vigilant, alert all forces in their respective districts and conduct joint operations by coordinating with central forces.

The Manipur government has ordered the state police to conduct combing operations and sanitisation in areas bordering Imphal West district where two persons were killed and 12 others injured in an attack by suspected militants.