Last month, Manipur Police commandos staged a symbolic "arms down" protest in Imphal.
An army officer has been abducted from his residence in Manipur, marking the fourth such incident since ethnic tensions escalated in the border state in May last year. Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) Konsam Kheda Singh, a resident of Thoubal district, was forcibly taken by unknown assailants in a vehicle at 9 am today, according to sources cited by NDTV.
After receiving the alert, a coordinated search operation was initiated by all security agencies to rescue the officer. Security forces have deployed extensively in the area to expedite the search efforts. The search extends to all vehicles along National Highway 102. The motive behind the abduction remains unclear, and authorities are actively investigating the matter, a source within the security establishment stated.
This incident marks the fourth such occurrence since May 2023, during which soldiers, whether on leave or duty, and their relatives have been attacked.
In a previous incident in September 2023, a former Assam Regiment soldier, Serto Thangthang Kom, was abducted and subsequently killed by an unidentified armed group while on leave at his residence in Imphal West. He was stationed in Manipur”s Leimakhong with the Defence Service Corps (DSC), as confirmed by the Indian Army”s Spear Corps.
Two months later, an unidentified armed group abducted four individuals traveling in an SUV from the hill district of Churachandpur to Leimakhong, resulting in their deaths. Among the victims were family members of an Indian Army soldier serving in Jammu and Kashmir. The soldier”s father, who sustained injuries, managed to escape and was airlifted by the army to Dimapur for medical treatment before being transferred to the base hospital in Guwahati, Assam.
In another kidnapping, an Additional Superintendent of Police was briefly abducted in Imphal city on February 27. The perpetrators in this instance were identified as Arambai Tenggol (AT) by the police. Subsequent to the incident, Manipur Police commandos staged a symbolic “arms down” protest in Imphal.
The police, in a tacit warning, hinted that such incidents may necessitate the reintroduction of the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, or AFSPA.
“The security forces toiling day and night for early restoration of peace and normalcy are being targeted for performing their duty. The attacks by the inimical elements on security forces and their families need to be strongly condemned and perpetrators caught and punished as per the law,” the source in the security establishment said.
Ethnic violence in Manipur has claimed over 200 lives and displaced nearly 50,000 people since May last year. Officials say the situation has degenerated into anarchy, with underground militant factions regaining support.
Manipur’s demographic makeup comprises Meiteis, constituting approximately 53% of the population and residing predominantly in the Imphal Valley, and tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, who constitute 40% and primarily inhabit the hill districts.
