Manipur: Kuki man arrested in Assam with drone making equipments, houses burnt in conflict-hit Jiribam

Guwahati: Police in Assam on Friday said a person belonging to Kuki community in Manipur was arrested in Guwahati with equipments used for making drones. 

Police said sleuths belonging to special task force stopped a vehicle at Sonapur in the outskirts of Guwahati and recovered 10 TB30 intelligent flight batteries from Khaigoulen Kipgen.

The person hails from Kangpokpi, a Kuki-dominated district in Manipur. "The intelligence suggested that a Manipur-based banned organisation was attempting to procure equipment potentially for sabotage activities. The operation began with reliable input about the unauthorized transportation of drones and related equipment," said a statement issued by Assam police headquarters.

The batteries are suspected to be used in running drones, they added.

"The confiscation of these items, particularly the drone batteries, underscores the clandestine efforts by certain banned organisations in Manipur to procure drones for illicit activities," said the statement.

Police also recovered Rs 3.4 lakh and a mobile handset from Kipgen's possession. 

Jiribam tense 

The situation in Jirbam, where Kuki-Meitei conflict broke out on June 6 has remained tense with miscreants burning two houses reportedly belonging to Meitei community, on Thursday night.

Sources said this could be in retaliation of burning of houses belonging to Kuki villagers by Meitei miscreants.

The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee, a forum of Kuki-Zo-Hmar community, on Friday said 72 houses belonging to Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities have been burnt by miscreants belonging to Meitei community, since June 6 in Jiribam and Pherzwl district.

Jiribam initially remained out of the Meitei-Kuki conflict but the violence broke out on June 6 after a Meitei man was found dead.

Over 2000 people got displaced and took shelter in neighbouring Assam. On Wednesday, a school building was burnt in Moreh in Kuki-dominated Tengnoupal district by unidentified miscreants while two trucks carrying mateirlas for construction of a road was set on fire in Kakching district.