1. More turmoil prompts Manipur to seek MHA assistance.
2. State urgently requests helicopters for 7 days following IRB personnel’s loss.
3. Commissioner Ranjit Singh’s letter emphasizes the need for immediate air assets.
Moreh, Jan 17: In response to the recent turmoil in the border town of Moreh, resulting in the loss of an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel, the state government of Manipur has reached out to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking immediate air assets, specifically helicopters, for the next seven days.
Commissioner Home T Ranjit Singh, in a letter addressed to the Additional Secretary (Police II Division) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, referenced the MHA’s previous communication dated January 4, 2024.
The letter expressed the state’s urgent need for MHA Air Assets, acknowledging the limitations of providing continuous air support in one location due to the limited resources in the Northeast region.
Singh’s letter emphasized the escalating law and order situation in Moreh, where continuous exchanges of fire have resulted in the tragic death of an IRB personnel on January 17.
Concerns were raised regarding the potential deterioration of the situation in Moreh and the likelihood of medical emergencies. The Police Department further conveyed the necessity for airlifting security personnel and ammunition to Moreh.
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Hence, the letter urgently requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide MHA Air Assets (Helicopter) to the State Government and station them in Imphal immediately, starting from January 17, 2024, for a minimum period of seven days to address the emerging emergency requirements.
The tension in Moreh, Manipur, persists, with reports of renewed gunfire between security forces and armed miscreants on January 17. The situation intensified when armed miscreants attacked IRB personnel who were sleeping near Ema Kondong Lairembi Devi Mandir, resulting in the death of one Commando (CDO) personnel and injuring another.
In the early hours of the morning at around 4 am, armed miscreants ambushed security forces near Ema Kondong Lairembi Devi Mandir using rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and live rounds from the hilltop of Chikim Village.
The Assam Rifles, stationed just 20 meters from the IRB Post, shielded the post with Bullet Proof Vehicles, effectively protecting IRB personnel through retaliatory measures.
As Manipur grapples with these critical developments, the state government’s appeal to the Ministry of Home Affairs underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for swift and strategic intervention to restore peace and order in the region.
