Army releases 12 Manipur insurgents after stand-off with women-led mob

According to an Army spokesperson, the 12 cadres were apprehended with arms, ammunition, and war-like stores during an operation in Itham village initiated on Saturday morning based on specific intelligence.

Following this, the operation was obstructed by a mob of 1,200 to 1,500 people led by women and a local leader, which “immediately surrounded the target area”, the spokesperson said. A clip of UAV footage of the incident shows a large number of people moving quickly to obstruct roads in the area.

“Repeated appeals to the aggressive mob to let the security forces carry on with operation as per law did not yield any positive result. Keeping in view the sensitivity of the use of kinetic force against a large irate mob led by women and likely casualties due to such action, a considered decision was taken to hand over all 12 cadres to the local leader,” said the spokesperson, stating it was a decision taken to avoid any “collateral damage” during the ongoing conflict in the state.

After the stand-off, the Army left the area with the weapons and war-like stores recovered from the cadre.

The blockading of movement of the Army and the Assam Rifles in the valley areas of Manipur by women has been a major challenge for security and defence personnel engaged in the state.

More than 100 people have died in ethnic clashes between Meiteis and the Kuki tribe in Manipur after violence erupted in the state in May.