Insurgents kill two with grenade-laden drones in India's Manipur

Assault is latest escalation of ethnic violence that has rocked eastern state since last year

People from the Kuki community protest in Mumbai on Saturday against the violence in Manipur. Hindustan Times

Insurgents attacked government forces using drones loaded with rocket-propelled grenades in the Indian state of Manipur, police said on Monday, in an upsurge of ethnic violence that left two people dead.

The latest attack took place in the district of Imphal West on Sunday, police said, alleging that Kuki militants carried out the assault on security forces. The police called it a “significant escalation”.

There has been a spate of violence in Manipur since May last year when Meitei Hindus and Christian Kukis clashed over a proposed government policy that would have benefited the majority Hindu community. More than 200 people have been killed on both sides, with about 50,000 displaced within the borders of what has become a volatile state.

“In an unprecedented attack in Koutruk, Imphal West, alleged Kuki militants have deployed numerous RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] using high-tech drones,” the police said in a statement. “While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfare, this recent deployment of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and civilians is a significant escalation. The involvement of highly trained professionals, possibly with technical expertise and support, cannot be ruled out.”

Police said a 31-year-old woman was hit by bullets and succumbed to her injuries, while her eight-year-old daughter sustained injuries to her arms. Six people were injured in total. Several houses were reportedly damaged due to heavy shelling by the militants.

Conflict has returned to the northeastern state after a period of relative calm since April when two paramilitary soldiers were killed. Manipur, which borders Myanmar, has a population of 3.2 million across about 34 ethnic groups. Meiteis form the majority at 53 per cent, while the other major groups include Kukis and Nagas.

About 40 per cent of the population are from tribes such as the Kukis, who have traditionally inhabited the hilly areas that make up 90 per cent of the land. The Meiteis dominate valley areas that make up 10 per cent of the land but are highly fertile. They have historically held political and economic power, which serves as another trigger point for the Kukis in the community.

Security personnel fire tear gas at protesters near the family home of the Chief Minister of Manipur. AFP

In April last year, Manipur High Court directed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to send its recommendations to the federal government for declaring the Meiteis a tribe. This was opposed by the Kukis because, if granted, the status would have allowed the Meiteis to settle in the hills – on protected land.