11th November 2024, Manipur. In a crucial operation against insurgents, 10 militants were gunned down in an encounter with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Manipur’s Jiribam district. The intimate ironing of eye-to-eye, interacting against the insurgent organization in dense forest, was a formal offensive against insurgents in that region.
The operation commenced at dawn and was carried out at Jiribam under coordination between local police and the CRPF. Security obtained information about heavily armed militants allegedly located there.
Upon confirmation, a strategy was visited for the arrest of the suspects; as the forces closed in on the location, there began a heavy, long exchange of gunfire, resulting in 10 insurgents dying.
According to a police report, slain militants include members of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) and the United National Liberation Front of People, whose notoriety lies in their armed insurgency in the state. The identification has yet to be done, and the authorities have confiscated those weapons and ammunition.
Growing Concerns of Insurgency in Manipur
The Jiribam area has been one of the few places intensively afflicted by insurgent activities, thus complicating the law and order-holding process. The recent encounter is simply a kickoff to erupt against insurgents at a time when ethnic tensions are mounting in Manipur.
Since the start of this fight, over 175 people lost their lives this year; we have seen an upsurge in armed confrontations and attacks on security personnel. The state has witnessed violent ethnic clashes that are creating increasing trouble for the lives of civilians and security organizations.
The Impact and Future Security Measures
The CRPF has stepped up vigil in the area to prevent retaliatory attacks against other militant groups on the heels of the encounter. Additional deployment of security personnel is needed to intensify counter-insurgency efforts and maintain peace in the region.
State authorities have commended the operation as a crucial coup in curbing the influence of militant groups in Manipur.
The central government has kept the situation under close surveillance while expressing concerns over the rising insurgency and the continuing ethnic strife. The Home Ministry is expected to assess the current security measures, and military presence may be augmented to counter more militant activities.
The public response and the way ahead
The local population sees the successful operation as a huge achievement since they have been under the constant threat of militant violence. However, there are demands for a long-term resolution of the conflict, with many asking for dialogue between the conflicting ethnic groups and insurgent factions as a means of restoring stability in Manipur.
The security forces are continuing their combing operations in the surrounding areas to ensure that no insurgents escape or regroup. Authorities are also concentrating on dismantling support networks for these militant groups, which includes continuing between arms suppliers and funding channels.
