Manipur security sweep after BSF killing
Security forces in Manipur flattened 21 bunkers, seized 13 improvised explosive devices and recovered arms following the killing of a Border Security Force jawan. ( ). Local reports described the operation as joint-force search-and-seize activity aimed at dismantling insurgent positions linked to the recent attack. (newkerala.com)
Security forces in Manipur destroyed 21 bunkers and recovered 13 improvised explosive devices after a Border Security Force constable was killed in Ukhrul district. (theweek.in) The operation continued for a third straight day on Sunday, April 12, as central and state forces searched Ukhrul and nearby districts for the militants suspected in the killing of Border Security Force constable Mithun Mandal. (idrw.org) Police said 14 bunkers were demolished in Sikibung village and seven in Mongkot Chepu, both under Litan police station in Ukhrul. The bunkers were described as illegally built positions used by armed miscreants. (theweek.in) In a separate operation in Moreh, in Tengnoupal district, forces seized two 9 millimeter pistols with magazines, two combat uniforms and 13 improvised explosive devices, then destroyed the explosives on site. (deccanherald.com) Mandal was killed after suffering a bullet wound during violence in Ukhrul, where local reports said Tangkhul Naga and Kuki groups exchanged fire. An investigation was registered at Litan police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. (msn.com; tmv.in) The latest sweep comes nearly three years after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, between Meitei groups in the Imphal Valley and Kuki-Zo communities in the hills. By late 2024, official figures cited 258 deaths and more than 60,000 displaced people. (indianexpress.com) Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025, after the resignation of chief minister N. Biren Singh and a proclamation under Article 356 of India’s Constitution. The state assembly was placed in suspended animation. (egazette.gov.in; northeastlive.s3.amazonaws.com) Human Rights Watch said on March 27, 2025, that ethnic clashes had restarted in Manipur after President’s Rule began, and called for accountability for abuses by armed groups and security forces. (hrw.org) For now, the state’s security response is centered on bunker demolition, weapons seizures and combing operations in the same hill districts where the latest killing took place. (theweek.in; idrw.org)
