Drones used in Manipur bombings may’ve been sourced from outside

The drones used to bomb Manipur’s Kadangband and Koutruk villages, adjacent to Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district, might have been sourced from external sources, say security experts, hinting at the involvement of extremist groups operating from Myanmar. The bomb attacks on September 1 had left two persons dead while six others were injured.

Myanmar could be source: officials

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Security officials said drones and guns could be assembled locally after sourcing of their components from outside the country. Myanmar, owing to its proximity to the north-eastern state, was the likely source.

Talking to The Tribune, security officials said the usage of such attack drones was a new phenomenon in strife-torn Manipur. They said drones and guns could be assembled locally after sourcing of their components from outside the country. Myanmar, owing to its proximity to the north-eastern state, was the likely source, they said.

Though the Manipur Government has formed a five-member committee to look into the drone attacks in Meitei-dominated villages, speculations are rife that the huge cache of arms looted by extremists from the Manipur Police’s armoury last year could also have been used to assemble drones and mechanised guns.

The committee, formed on September 2, is headed by ADGP Ashutosh Sinha and has a member each from the Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF and the Army. The committee has been mandated to examine and study the specifications of drones used in the attacks on the two villages.

On September 3, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had criticised the drone attack, saying “dropping of bombs on civilian population and security forces by using drones was an act of terrorism”.