Manipur underground armed outfits attacked in Myanmar
The Moreh town of Imphal bordering India and Myanmar was rocked by high intensity blasts which occurred inside Myanmar. The blasts which according to sources in Tamu in the Sagaing district of Manipur were carried out by a team of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and the Kuki National Army (KNA) at Thongren between 11:45 pm to 12:45 am. The attack is said to have been carried out on the general headquarters of two Manipur based underground groups.
The PDF, which is an armed rebellion group formed by people after the February 1 2021 military coup in Myanmar, carried out the attack close coordination with the KNA. The bomb attack is said to have taken place when the Manipur UGs were celebrating raising day of their faction. Though it is not fully clear, sources said that the two groups which came under attack were the Manipur Naga Revolutionary Front (MNRF) and the United National Liberation Front of Manipur (UNLF).
Sources said that the attack resulted in killing of three cadres of the two Manipur based underground groups and injury to seven persons which included one self-styled colonel and some civil persons sustained injury at the incident.
Incidentally, the attack on the Manipur outfits comes after recent concerns aired by many pro-democracy groups in Myanmar about the increase in collaboration between several underground armed groups of Manipur and the Myanmar junta. The National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar –government in exile formed by elected lawmakers and members of parliament ousted in the 2021 military coup – has also been raising concern about the engagements of armed underground groups from Manipur with the Burmese military junta in and around Sagaing and Mandalay region.
The PDF, particularly those based in Sagiang and working directly under the NUG as its armed wing have been put on alert, including trained snipers to take on the Manipur armed groups and push them out of their bases which are mostly in and around the bordering regions of Sagaing and the hill districts of Manipur. According to reports from Sagaing, other local PDFs and people’s guerrilla like the ‘Myay Out Hlyat Si Guerrilla Force’ (Underground Thunder Guerrilla Force) led by Bo Mone Diang, which work independently have also been on the lookout for armed groups from Manipur which have been assisting the military junta.
According to sources, on receiving information that a bomb attack has been carried out , Police Commando teams and the Assam Rifles have been on high alert in and Moreh and other bordering areas anticipating that members of the armed underground outfits may try to cross over to the Indian side after the assault from the PDFs.
Meanwhile on Friday morning around 9:40 am a blast took place in near Kwatha Khunou , Tengnoupal district Manipur. According to Eastern Mirror. A BRTF labour engaged in constructing India- Myanmar border fencing in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district injured in a mine blast this morning.
Source inform Admin Eastern Mirror (CNS) that the incident occurred around 9:40am of Friday February 10 near Kwatha Khunou , Tengnoupal district Manipur.
The injured BRTF labour is identified as Jerom Birla, 82 RCC, BRTF, (36 years), son of Nawash Birla from Simdega district, Jharkhand. The incident occurred near Kwatha Khunou, between subsidiary pillar No.16 and 17 located between India-Myanmar border pillar No.80 and 81. Source further said that the injured BRTF labour is stationed at B Bongjang village BRTF Camp . He was rushed to Moreh Hospital with sustained injury on his legs, finger and face from where he is referred to Imphal for further treatment.
