Security Forces on High Alert as 900 Suspected Myanmar Militants Cross into Manipur

Security forces in India’s northeastern state of Manipur have been placed on high alert following reports that 900 suspected militants from war-torn Myanmar have crossed the border. The information was confirmed by Kuldiep Singh, Manipur’s government security adviser, who said the warning came from local intelligence agencies. He noted that border posts had been alerted and that combing operations would be conducted in the remote, rugged areas to address the situation.

Manipur, a state already reeling from more than a year of ethnic violence, has seen clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community. The Kuki population has strong cultural, familial, and religious ties with Myanmar’s tribal groups, where dozens of armed factions have been battling the military since its 2021 coup.

Reports suggest the militants are Kuki insurgents, trained in jungle warfare and carrying weaponized drones. Singh noted that flying drones without official permission has been banned in the region.

After months of relative calm, fresh violence erupted earlier this month, with insurgent groups firing rockets and dropping bombs using drones, killing at least 11 people. The renewed fighting has heightened tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities, who have long competed for land and public jobs.

The violence in Manipur has already displaced around 60,000 people and claimed over 200 lives, according to government figures, with many residents still unable to return to their homes.

The state, governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, continues to face deep divisions as security forces work to prevent further escalations.