Will give befitting reply to Kuki militants: Biren
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 28 2023: While asserting that the present conflict is not a communal one but fight between government forces including those sent by the Centre and Kuki terrorists trying to distort territorial in-tegrity of Manipur, chief min-ister N Biren Singh has said that state forces are directly under the home department and there is no restrictions on them from anyone.

The chief minister also announced that the home department and advisor to CM will directly deal with state forces from time to time and there will be no restriction on them to move anywhere in the state.

Addressing media persons at the Darbar hall of CM secre-tariat Sunday after convening a cabinet meet, CM Biren said there was no major violence except firing and torching of some houses at some places since the eruption of violence on May 3 and 4 .

Will give befitting reply to Kuki militants: Biren

However, Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons like AK-47, M-16 rifles and snip-er rifles attacked innocent civilians at peripheral areas of valley districts almost simultaneously in the wee hours Sunday and torched hundreds of houses.

Attacks on civilian houses in the pe-ripheral areas of the valley since the past few day seemed well-planned to show their capability at the time when Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai is still in the state and home min-ister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state from Mon-day to bring back peace and normalcy.

State forces will respond fittingly to attacks on civilians by Kuki militants, he said adding that adequate state force have been deployed at 38 vulnerable areas and process for deployment of additional personnel at more vulnerable areas have begun.

While informing that In-dian Army, BSF and CRPF have launched operation at some places and security forces will even use 2 inch mortars against terrorists attacking civilians, the chief minister said there is report of elimination of some cam-ouflage clad Kuki militants at Leitanpokpi, Yaingangpoki, Serou Lamkhai, Sugnu and Torbung areas.

He also produced photograph of arrest of Kuki militants along with arms by Jat Regiment.

Saddened over loss of lives including security personnel and destruction of properties in the almost simultaneous attacks carried out by Kuki militants in different areas particularly in peripheral valley pockets in the wee hours Sunday, N Biren said government condemns the attacks on unarmed civil-ians in the strongest term.

He also said that government is deeply saddened by casu-alties on both the sides and assured all possible steps in bringing back normalcy.

Stating that those trying to distort the state and dis-rupt peaceful coexistence are enemies of all the 34 corn-munities residing together in the state, N Biren Singh said government will face every such challenge.

This challenge clearly is on the state and its integrity, he said and appealed to all the 34 communities residing in the state to have faith and trust in the government.

He main-tained that government will never allow disintegration of Manipur and uproot armed terrorists from the state.

The chief minister also ap-pealed to all the communities against coming out on the streets and not to disrupt movement of commandos and security forces.

Appeal-ing to the people to support and pray for the comman-dos, security forces and to encourage them, N Biren said state forces are well trained and able to counter any challenges to the state.

He further appealed all 34 communities in the state to face these challenges unitedly and have faith and trust in the government.

The press conference was also attended by cabi-net ministers like Thongam Biswajit, Yumnam Khem-chand, Govindas Konthou-jam, Awangbow Newmai, Dr Sapam Ranjan, Khashim Vashum, Leishangthem Susindro and Thounaojam Basantakumar.