Imphal- In response to escalating violence in Manipur, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced the deployment of an additional 20 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to the state. This decision comes just three days after a deadly encounter between suspected Kuki militants and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Jiribam district on Monday.

The 20 companies, comprising approximately 1,700 to 1,800 personnel, will be stationed in militancy-infested districts. The MHA has requested the Manipur government to collaborate with the respective CAPFs to develop a detailed deployment plan. This deployment will bring the total number of CAPF companies in Manipur to 218, including units from the CRPF, RAF, BSF, ITBP, and SSB.

The decision follows reports of kidnappings and missing persons in the wake of Monday's encounter. Police confirmed that 10 individuals, residents of a relief camp for displaced persons, were either kidnapped or went missing after the incident in Jakuradhor village, where armed militants also torched several houses.

Inspector General of Police (Operations), Manipur, I.K. Muivah, stated that two bodies of elderly civilians, identified as Maibam Kesho Singh (75) and Laishram Barel (61), were recovered during search operations. One person was rescued alive, and another civilian returned to the police station. Currently, three women and three children remain missing, and search operations are ongoing.

While police initially reported that 11 militants were killed in the encounter, IGP Muivah confirmed the death toll at 10. However, all tribal organizations in Manipur, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), Kuki-Zo Council, and Hmar Students' Association, maintain that the deceased were all Hmar village volunteers.

This latest deployment follows the central government's deployment of approximately 60,000 troops, including the Army, Assam Rifles, and various CAPFs, in Manipur last May in response to ethnic violence.