IT News
Imphal, Dec 31:
In a significant operation involving the Army, BSF, CRPF, and State Police, security forces have dismantled multiple illegal bunkers in different areas of Imphal East District. This large-scale combing and search operation, which began on December 28, covered regions such as Sabungkhok Khunou, Shantikhongbal, Thamnapokpi, Sanasabi, Uyok Ching, and Natum Ching, bordering Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi villages. These operations were initiated after four persons, including a policeman and a woman, were wounded in gun attacks at Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi villages on Friday.
During the operation, armed miscreants were flushed out from these areas. Security forces destroyed four illegal bunkers and took control of three others located in both the valley and dominating hill areas. Additionally, the Army, BSF, and CRPF teams secured the strategically important Uyok Ching area, which is used by Kuki militants to fire indiscriminately towards the Meitei villages starting from December 24.
The dismantling of the bunkers has triggered protests from the Kuki community. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) called for a 12-hour shutdown in the Sadar Hills region of Kangpokpi District, accompanied by public demonstrations in Gamgiphai.
In a show of defiance, hundreds of Kuki-Zo women formed human barriers in the Bungpi region to obstruct security forces from demolishing bunkers. The women also attempted to block the forces from advancing further, leading to a confrontation between the two sides. To disperse the protesters, tear gas shells were fired. Videos circulating on social media capture several Kuki women confronting the security forces, with some engaging in verbal altercations.
