Bangladesh Unrest May Escalate Meitei-Kuki Tensions in Manipur, Turn Northeast into War Zone: Sources | Exclusive

India’s Northeast could turn into a war zone with a possible escalation in the Meitei-Kuki tensions in Manipur fuelled by the unrest in Bangladesh, security agencies have warned.

“This is fertile ground for the Bangladesh-based radical group Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya or Jamatul Ansar in eastern and northeastern India as al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has very close ties with the Kuki-Chin National Front,” a source told CNN-News18.

Both Jamatul Ansar and KNF are conducting arms training camps in Chittagong Hill tracts, said the sources. It came to the fore earlier that the two outfits had formed a written pact for conducting training.

Jamatul Ansar has been striking up alliances with local outfits as they have the same agenda of destabilising India and Northeast-based insurgent groups are ready to join hands, sources said.

“Drug money from Myanmar for weapons, radical agenda from AQIS, and pressure from the American side to carve out a separate country is another game the government should look into,” said a source.

Earlier Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya and Kuki-Chin National Front came on the radar with their plans to attack government installations when Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies initiated a series of military operations and some 20 KNF members were apprehended along with firearms.

Agencies said KNF is capable of destabilising the region and is ready with both arms and drugs. Bases of Kuki militants in Manipur have full storehouses of arms, they said.

According to sources from the state police, the militants have high-flying drones, missile systems with a proper understanding of projectile and wind systems, AK 47s, INSAS, carbine, and many more weapons.

“They have 6,000 arms with them which is a serious concern and ammunition in twice the proportion,” said a source.

According to government sources, the Manipur administration is under pressure to push central forces deep inside the state. Recently, two Assam Rifles battalions were taken out of the state and CRPF troops were pushed inside.

Senior CRPF officials including the director general himself were in Manipur for almost five days to ensure this exercise, said the sources.