Snipers or trained civilians? Targeted killing of jawans poses several questions

The question bothering forces is whether the insurgent groups who picked up arms are getting some special training to attack

Even as Manipur continues to see scattered but unabated incidents of violence ever since it all began last month, the attack on security forces has become a cause for concern for the government and in general. Most importantly, the accurate manner of killing of the two jawans in recent weeks is worrying the government and the forces alike, a report in The Indian Express said.

Earlier this week, one BSF jawan lost his life while two other Army men had to be medevaced for treatment amid gunfire between forces and insurgents in the state's Kakching district.
A week prior, another jawan lost his life in the Moreh area even as Home Minister Amit Shah visited the violence-hit state.

In both the cases, the jawans were shot dead with just one bullet, the report said.

Also Read | Joint Operation launched in both hills and valley in Manipur as violence continues for more than a month

The report also highlighted that since according to common knowledge the Kuki insurgent groups do not usually use snipers to shoot, the question that is bothering forces is whether the groups that have picked up arms are getting some special training to attack.

Even though arrests in the killing of the jawans are still pending, more than 140 weapons were surrendered till last week in different places in Manipur after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's appeal. But that doesn't seem to be enough. While the state enjoyed a rare 48-hour lull period without any militant activity, violence broke out in Manipur on Friday where three Kuki villagers, including a woman, were killed and two others were injured.

In the case of the BSF jawan who died while being shot at Serou Practical High School in Sugnu, a security establishment officer was quoted as saying, “The jawan was standing on the terrace of the building wearing a bulletproof jacket and helmet. He was hit in the neck in precision firing. The fire came from adjoining hills. It does not appear to be the handiwork of untrained hands. But then SoO groups are not known to use snipers."

SoO is the ‘Suspension of Operation’ pact signed between Kuki militant groups and the government on August 22, 2008.

The Home Minister had appealed to all concerned to surrender their weapons to the security forces and administration, adding that a search-and-combing operation would be carried out in the state soon and anyone found to possess any weapon would be prosecuted.
The death of the other jawan too, who was shot amid Shah's visit to the state, was in a similar fashion, IE said. He was hit by a bullet in his head when he was shepherding some protesting women in Moreh town.

Also Read | Manipur: Three dead in insurgent attack; bomb blast near BJP MLA's house

But is it really that difficult to be accurate while hitting a target for the insurgents? One military officer said that the kind of attacks seen in Manipur would not require snipers. “Most of the firing is happening in the range of 300-400 yards. A trained hand on an SLR (self-loading rifle) can do precision firing at such a range," he was quoted as saying.

The combing operation warned by Shah is yet to commence but yet again, violence broke out on Friday in which three Kuki villagers, including a woman, were killed and two others were injured in an attack at a village in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district.

Hours before this, a bomb exploded near the residence of a BJP MLA on Thursday night in the Meitei-dominated Imphal West district. "This attack is yet another example of the utter disregard shown by the Meitei militants, separatist mobs, radicalized groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, and the Meitei-centric state government for the 15-day peace call made by Union Minister of Home, Mr. Amit Shah," a statement from The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum statement said.