Drones becoming the new threat to security in trouble-torn Manipur?

The recent seizure of drone parts in Guwahati from 2 youths having connection with militant groups from both the warring ethnic groups have rung the alarm bells.

Are drones going to be the new security threat in trouble torn Manipur. The recent seizure of drone parts in Guwahati from 2 youths having connection with militant groups from both the warring ethnic groups have rung the alarm bells.

The arrest and the seizures were made by the Special Task Force of Assam Police based on intelligence inputs. On 14 June 10 intelligent flight batteries were seized from a Manipur based man in a vehicle at a toll gate in the outskirts of Guwahati which has warned Assam Police of something new brewing in the ethnic conflict hit Manipur.

The suspicion grew bigger when the very next day another person was arrested from Guwahati’s Roopnagar area carrying drone parts on a two wheeler. According to top police sources in Assam Police, the person arrested from the Sonapur toll gate was found to have links with Kuki Zo ethnic groups while the person arrested from Roopnagar area of Guwahati was found to have links with Meitei extremist groups.

According to top police sources, these seizures which were made following reliable input about the unauthorised transportation of drones and related equipment for armed groups on either side of the ethnic divide in Manipur could be the tip of the iceberg. The police source further informed that the drone parts were procured from New Delhi and was being transported to Manipur using couriers.

So could the drones be used by the warring groups for aerial attacks as they are capable of carrying a payload like bombs or IEDs which could be remotely flown to the designated target areas and triggered off from miles away without coming in the radar and getting caught by the security forces. Only a thorough investigation can make things clear.

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