Imphal: A joint military operation at a designated Kuki insurgent camp has prompted many residents to flee Manipur’s Mullam village amid allegations of selective law enforcement and fears of clashes between communities.
Local sources said the Indian Army, Manipur Police and CoBRA commandos raided Sinai Camp, which houses Kuki groups covered by a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government.
The reported withdrawal of Kuki security personnel left the area without adequate security, forcing women, children and elderly residents to seek shelter in nearby forests and villages.
Kuki community elders said rival armed groups, including the NSCN-IM, NSCN-EF and ZUF-K, gathered near the village soon after the operation.
They alleged that state forces were disarming Kuki groups that had agreed to the peace process while allowing rival groups covered by ceasefire arrangements to keep their weapons and move freely. They said this left vulnerable settlements exposed to possible attacks.
The displacement has raised fears of a repeat of the pre-dawn attack on April 24, in which three people were killed and livestock and property were destroyed in widespread arson.
Residents said they feared further casualties without neutral forces to maintain peace in the area.
Community leaders have appealed for the urgent deployment of neutral central forces to secure the area and prevent further civilian casualties.