Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh stated on Sunday that large-scale combing operations would be launched in vulnerable areas across the state with the deployment of three Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units of the CRPF.
Addressing his maiden press conference at his office after a recent meeting with the Prime Minister in the national capital, the Chief Minister said that a total of three CoBRA units would be pressed into service for anti-insurgency operations currently being carried out by other central and state forces.
One CoBRA unit is currently in the state, and its personnel are undergoing 45 days of training to suit the local environment.
Moreover, two more CoBRA units are being deployed in the coming days. They will arrive in the state within three to four days, and the Chief Minister expressed hope that the deployment of these three commando battalions will help improve the law-and-order situation in the state to a certain extent.
In reply to a question posed by a newsperson, the Chief Minister stated that security forces in the state are limited, but the arrival of the specialised battalions will bolster ongoing operations. The CoBRA units are elite formations of the CRPF trained in guerrilla warfare and jungle combat operations.
The Chief Minister, however, stressed that public cooperation remains crucial for restoring peace in this volatile border state.
He appealed to people in both the hills and the valley to cooperate with the state administration to stop any violence.
“Even if more security forces are deployed, they cannot do much without public cooperation,” he added.