Imphal: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has condemned the killing of four Naga civilians, including a mother and her son, in an ambush in Ukhrul district on Friday. The organisation has called for stronger security arrangements along vulnerable highways to prevent further attacks.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal on Saturday, COCOMI convenor YK Dhiren questioned the effectiveness of the state’s security arrangements. He stressed that protecting ordinary citizens must take precedence over non-essential security duties.
The bodies of the four victims, who were killed in an ambush along the Imphal–Ukhrul road, were brought to the JNIMS mortuary earlier on Saturday. Political leaders and representatives of various civil society organisations from different indigenous communities gathered at the hospital to receive the mortal remains, condemn the killings and offer prayers for the deceased.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Dhiren said the administration had failed to ensure adequate protection for civilians. He called for the immediate withdrawal of security personnel deployed for VIP protection and other non-essential duties, urging the authorities to redeploy them to vulnerable areas where civilian lives remain at risk.
COCOMI flags changing pattern of highway attacks
Drawing attention to the circumstances surrounding Friday’s ambush, the COCOMI convenor pointed to what he described as a worrying change in the pattern of violence along highways.
He observed that previous attacks on national highways generally involved armed assailants firing at targets from a distance, whereas Friday’s incident was carried out at close range.
Calling for measures to prevent similar incidents, Dhiren urged the authorities to strengthen security deployments along exposed and vulnerable stretches of national highways.
He reiterated that security forces must be strategically positioned in sensitive areas and prioritise civilian protection to deter further attacks and restore a sense of security among the public.