Drone bomb attacks on civilians acts of terror: Manipur CM

Security forces captured a drone at Kharam Vaiphei in Kangpokpi district late Monday, giving them a glimpse of what they are up against. Sources said the drones being used by militants are rotor-fitted quadcopters, known to be versatile UAVs that are usually acquired for photography and recreational flying.

"Such drones can drop and trigger explosives, including grenades, and fly fast with a top speed of 250 kmph," an official said. "But weaponising a hobby drone and operating it for anything other than recreational purpose requires training. The fact that militants are able to do that is worrisome." Drones can be remotely operated in a range of 500m to 5km. With slight modification, this range can be increased to 10-15km.

"Drones first hit the Manipur skies during the conflict last year, albeit only for reconnaissance purposes. Such drones are readily available in open market for prices ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. They come in parts and can be assembled in three to four hours," experts said.

Unprepared for aerial assaults and faced with need for adapting strategies to counter these advanced tools effectively, the DGP has formed a five-member committee to examine the use of drones by militants and find ways to effectively deal with them.

Headed by state additional DGP (intelligence) Ashutosh Kumar Sinha, it includes GOC of Army's 57 Mountain Division, Maj Gen SS Kartikeya, Assam Rifles IG (South) Maj Gen Rabroop Singh, CRPF IG (Manipur and Nagaland) Vipul Kumar, and BSF's counter insurgency operations DIG in Manipur, JK Birdi.

CM N Biren Singh denounced Tuesday "all forms of violence" and urged the people of the state to unite against hate, division, and separatism as he condemned the drone bomb attacks on civilians as acts of terrorism.