CRPF Soldier Injured, 11 Suspected Insurgents Killed in Manipur’s Border District Clash

**New Delhi/Imphal:**

In a significant encounter in Manipur’s Jiribam district, security forces reportedly shot dead at least 11 individuals suspected to be Kuki insurgents. According to sources, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier sustained injuries during the attack, which occurred in the district near the Assam border. The injured soldier was subsequently transported to Silchar Medical College in Assam. The situation remains tense, with further details pending.

The confrontation reportedly began when suspected Kuki militants launched a coordinated assault on a police station in Jiribam’s Borobekra area. Positioned near a relief camp for internally displaced persons, the police station had been previously targeted. Sources suggest that the attackers may have also intended to target the relief camp. Following the assault on the station, insurgents advanced towards the nearby Jakurador Karong settlement, roughly one kilometer away, where they allegedly set homes ablaze while engaging in an armed clash with security personnel. CRPF reinforcements were dispatched to the area.

In response to the reported deaths, Kuki civil society groups declared a shutdown in their respective areas, referring to those killed as “village volunteers.” Security forces reportedly recovered multiple firearms, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and AK-series assault rifles, though both sides maintain that their “village volunteers” only use licensed, single-barrel guns—claims contradicted by widespread leaked images showing otherwise.

Tensions have escalated in Jiribam following recent violence. Last Thursday, suspected Meitei insurgents allegedly killed a Hmar woman and reportedly set houses ablaze, with her husband filing a police case alleging she was assaulted prior to her death. The following day, a woman from the Meitei community was fatally shot, allegedly by suspected Kuki insurgents, while working in a paddy field. Early this morning, insurgents allegedly opened fire from the hills in Imphal East, injuring a farmer—a worrying development as farmers remain hesitant to continue harvesting amid the ongoing attacks.

The CRPF, the nation’s largest Central Armed Police Force, has played a pivotal role in counter-insurgency operations across India, achieving notable successes against Maoist insurgents in states like Jharkhand and Bihar. In September, CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Manish Kumar Sachar noted that displaced families in Manipur’s relief camps were eager to return home if safety assurances could be provided.

Meanwhile, the Kuki community recently protested the Center’s decision to reassign two Assam Rifles battalions from Manipur to Jammu and Kashmir, expressing concern over local security.