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Manipur violence : CRPF men die in ambush

	October 08, 2007

Militants struck in a big way in Manipur on Oct. 3 for the second time in less than a week, killing four Central Reserve Police Force personnel on the Imphal-Jiribam highway.



The People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) claimed responsibility for the ambush almost immediately. A spokesman for the militant group called newspaper offices in Imphal to say that the “Red Army” - its armed wing - planned and executed the attack.



Nine personnel were wounded in the incident, which occurred at a site 30km from the state capital, Imphal.



The CRPF inspector-general in Manipur, S.K. Jain, said the personnel were headed for Kotlien in the Sadar Hills for routine patrol when the militants ambushed the convoy. The vehicles were negotiating a blind turn when the attack began.



When reinforcements were sent to the ambush site from the CRPF Group Centre at Langjing, near Imphal, another team of militants fired at the personnel at Patsoi. There was no casualty in that attack.



The CRPF is not involved in counter-insurgency operations, limiting itself to general area-domination exercises and guarding vital installations and roads.



A large contingent of the paramilitary force has been de¬ployed along the Imphal-Jiribam highway to provide security to workers of the Border Roads Organisation, which is repairing National Highway 53.



Police said Prepak could be attacking the security forces to make its presence felt ahead of its raising day on October 9. No militant group claimed responsibility for that attack.





Manipur police probe LeT link



Manipur police have launched a hunt for possible existence of a Lashkar-e-Toiba network in the state. A police team from Jammu and Kashmir visited Manipur last week to conduct an inquiry on Md Sadik alias Sibly, a resident of Moijing Mayum Leikai in Thoubal district. Sadik is now lodged in a jail in Jammu and Kashmir.



The Jammu and Kashmir police had arrested Sadik on August 30 and seized an AK-47 rifle from him. Sadik had gone to Jammu and Kashmir to pursue religious studies.



The police are interrogating Sadik for possible links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba.



A Muslim militant group - People’s United Liberation Front (PULF) - is active in Thoubal district. The police are reportedly trying to find out if there is any link between the PULF and other armed groups of Pakistan.



The officer said Manipur police have started an inquiry into Sadik’s past activities.





PM’s concern over unabating militancy



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed concern over the continuing violence in the north-eastern states, especially Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.



Speaking on the closing day of a Conference of Directors-General and Inspectors-General of Police in New Delhi on Oct. 4, the Prime Minister said the security apparatus dealing with insurgencies had been successful in some states of the Northeast, but had apparently failed in others.



Sources said the killing of Hindi-speaking labourers by ULFA across Assam pointed to ethnic differences that were being fo¬mented by forces inimical to India. These forces, operating from Bangladesh, were using the ULFA platform, they added.



“Non-indigenous forces are stoking fires in the Northeast,” a senior intelligence official said.



The Prime Minister said the security problems of the North¬east and Jammu and Kashmir were unique and the government was working through dialogue, development activities and improved communication links to tackle this.



A day earlier, Singh’s observations were mentioned by Home Minister Shivraj Patil at the inauguration of the two-day confer¬ence organised by the Intelligence Bureau.



The Home Minister said the security situation was comfort¬able in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh in the region. However, continued violence in Assam and Manipur and persisting factional clashes in Nagaland were causes for concern.



Even as he said this, four civilians were killed in a clash of NSCN factions in Kohima. “There were clashes in Phek also. The government is trying to act in different ways,” Director-General of Police J. Changkija said.



Patil said a proactive strategy and concerted action were necessary to stop extortions in the region.



The Home Minister said greater co-ordination among the states in the region and among the security forces would help counter-insurgency operations.