In the wake of escalating tensions and recent violent incidents in Moreh town, located in Manipur's Tengnoupal district, Lt General HS Sahi convened a crucial meeting with the leaders of the village volunteers from Tengnoupal District. The gathering took place at the Inspection Bungalow in Moreh, a town that has been the epicenter of multiple attacks by suspected militants on security forces.
The situation in Moreh has been fraught with conflict, as evidenced by a series of armed militant ambushes on security personnel. On December 30th, 2023, an attack left a jawan of the Manipur security force injured during an ambush involving IEDs and other explosives. This incident occurred at approximately 3:30 pm when the militants targeted vehicles carrying police commandos near Key Location Point (KLP) from Moreh. The injured jawan received medical treatment at the 5 Assam Rifles camp.
This was not an isolated event; earlier in January, seven security personnel were wounded during a search operation. Furthermore, on the same day as the aforementioned ambush, militants had attacked Manipur police commandos inside their barracks using rocket-propelled grenades.
The region has been under significant strain since May 3rd, 2023, following ethnic violence triggered by a 'Tribal Solidarity March' protesting against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The clashes have claimed over 180 lives, necessitating the deployment of army and paramilitary forces to restore order.
Amidst these developments, Chief Minister of Manipur, Biren Singh, has suggested the involvement of foreign mercenaries from Myanmar in the attacks
Lt General HS Sahi's meeting with the village volunteer leaders aimed to address these pressing issues and seek ways to stabilize the volatile situation in Moreh.