Tensions Rise in Manipur as Drone Attacks Spark Widespread Panic

Residents in the outskirts of Manipur's Bishnupur and Imphal East districts plunged into darkness on Friday night, turning off their lights after several drone sightings were reported, according to officials cited by news agency PTI. The scare follows recent incidents in which militants deployed drones to drop explosives on people in nearby areas of Imphal West district.

An official reported that security forces are on high alert in the surrounding areas, closely monitoring the movements of large groups. In Bishnupur district, multiple illumination rounds were fired into the night sky, intensifying public confusion and fear. It remains unclear whether security forces or others discharged these rounds.

Earlier in the day, suspected militants launched a rocket attack on the residence of Manipur's first Chief Minister, Mairembam Koireng, killing one person and injuring five others.

The first incident of drones being used as weapons in Manipur occurred on September 1 in Koutruk village, Imphal West, where gunfire accompanied the drone attack, killing two people and injuring nine. A day later, a second drone attack struck Senjam Chirang, roughly three kilometers away, injuring three more individuals.