Violence claimed 258 lives so far: Security adviser

Animesh Singh Tribune News Service

An additional 90 companies of paramilitary forces will be deployed in Manipur, the state government’s security advisor Kuldiep Singh said after holding a high-level meeting with the Army and paramilitary personnel on Friday evening.

Singh said these 90 companies will be sent as reinforcements in addition to the 198 companies of paramilitary forces already stationed in the state, thus taking the overall tally of companies to 288. Some of these reinforcements have already reached Imphal, he added. The decision was taken after holding a security review meeting with state DGP, representatives of the Army, CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP and Assam Rifles, the security adviser further informed.

“We held a review meeting of all the districts of the state and discussed threadbare all the issues and noted concerns of the districts SPs. We are getting 90 additional companies over and above the 198 which are already there,” Singh said. He added forces will be distributed in vulnerable districts to protect lives and properties and in addition to this, district coordination cells will be created along with control rooms.

Existing control mechanisms and SOPs for highway security, fringe area protection, and force deployment were reviewed and upgraded. The authorities are monitoring highways to ensure smooth functioning and safeguarding fringe areas that are prone to disturbances, Singh said.

Responding to a query, he said as many as 258 people have been killed in the ethnic conflict which started in the state in May 2023 and operations are still going on. Till now, 3,000 weapons have been recovered. This development came after the burial of nine deceased in Jiribam earlier in the day, which was facilitated by coordinated efforts from all forces, Singh said.