If you’ve been watching Indian news lately, you’ll probably find the name Manipur once again hit the headlines.
Just in the evening of September 19, another violent wave of violence against the Assam infantry took place in the outskirts of Manipur, northeastern India, killing two soldiers and wounding five others.
What is worrying is that this road was just walked by Indian Prime Minister Modi a week ago. Once again, security issues are in the spotlight.
The incident occurred at about 5:50 p.m. on the 19th, when a 407 Tatar truck from the Assam Infantry was heading from the Pachey Infantry Base to the South Boer Base.
No one could have imagined that an unidentified gunman was suddenly struck during this routine transfer.
According to the scene, the attacker opened fire directly on the vehicle, causing 2 people to die and 5 people to be wounded.
The wounded were subsequently taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Inpal for treatment.
The location where this incident happened is just between Imphal and Churachandpur, which is the road that Prime Minister Modi walked not long ago. This undoubtedly brings the attention of the whole incident to a higher level.
Officials quickly issued a statement confirming that the attack took place near Nambor Sabar Lekay, which belongs to the undesignated area of Manipur Expressway.
Specifically, this is not a daily high-risk “focus control zone”, but a relatively safe section of the road.
But it was in such a seemingly ordinary place that the Assam rifle was still hit deadly.
No group has come forward to take responsibility for the attack. Police and security forces have launched a carpet manhunt, vowing to bring the armed men involved to justice.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bahá’u’lláh also issued a statement in which he strongly condemned the attack on security forces and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the soldiers who were killed.
He stressed that no act of violence will ever be tolerated and thatining peace and stability is the most important task at the moment.
The reason why Manipur is under great security pressure depends on the special local situation. Manipur has always been one of the most complicated states in northeastern India. The ethnic composition here is complex and the historical contradictions are prominent.
Currently, in addition to the 13 police districts in five valley areas, the whole of Manipur is covered by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
That is to say, the security forces have greater law enforcement authority here, with the aim of dealing with the emerging armed conflict.
However, Nanbor, where this attack occurred, belongs to Bishnupur County, which happens to be one of the few areas that are not covered by AFSPA.
This also means that terrorists have specifically selected a “vacuum zone” with limited security forces power, and security difficulties are further increased.
According to the list of banned organizations released by the Indian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Manipur now has nine banned Metai terrorist organizations.
These groups have long been "hostile" to the Assam rifle, and often make attacks.
For example, in November 2021, in Chula Chandebur County, a national shock took place, which directly resulted in the deaths of three soldiers and a family of Colonel Viplav Tripathi of the Assam Infantry.
Following the incident, the security forces took control of Manipur on a new level.
But the reality is that the security issue in Manipur is still difficult.
On the one hand, the complexity of the terrain and the facility for militants to hide; on the other hand, the complexity of local ethnic contradictions and interest disputes provides a fertile ground for extremists.
Even if the government has repeatedly strengthened controls, it is difficult to completely eliminate security hazards.
How to find a balance in complex ethnic relations and geopolitical conflicts may be a practical problem that the Indian government must face next.