NEW DELHI: The recent use of drones for terror purposes in India’s Northeastern state of Manipur has come as an extremely troubling sign as it is likely to encourage terror groups and underground organizations to use the same modus operandi across India in the near future.
On 2 September, a drone attack in Senjam Chirang, Imphal West, resulted in the injury of three individuals, including a 23-year-old woman, after explosives were dropped from the unmanned aerial vehicle. This attack followed a previous drone incident in the nearby village of Koutruk on 1 September, where the same method was used to target unarmed civilians. Members of the Meitei tribe, who were the target, have accused alleged Kuki terrorists of using drones to drop bombs.
However, the broader national security concern in wake of these two attacks has not been lost amongst these local noises.
Prior to these two incidents in Manipur, the only instance of drones being used for terror activity—of dropping bombs—happened nearly three years ago, on 27 June 2021, when Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba conducted a drone attack on the Jammu Air Force Station. This marked the first reported use of drones to target military facilities in India. The attack involved two drones that dropped improvised explosive devices (IEDs), resulting in damage to a building and the tarmac and causing injuries to two Air Force personnel.
The investigation in the Jammu attack was entrusted with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is still to reach a conclusion in the case.
Official sources said that if such use of drones is not curbed, tackled swiftly and sternly, it will encourage violent groups to use the same method in cities, where the extent of damage would potentially be more disastrous.
Officials in Central agencies said that drones being used by terror groups against unarmed Indian nationals in Manipur were reaching the region through a complex network of smuggling routes. After managing to bypass multiple layers of governmental scrutiny at the borders, they are being smuggled through small-scale operations to evade detection by formal channels.
According to sources, drones are entering Manipur via several key routes. The first and most direct path is through Myanmar, where drones are reportedly crossing the border into India. Additionally, there are significant indications that these UAVs are also being funnelled through China, complicating the tracking and interception efforts by Indian authorities.
Recent intelligence has uncovered a new dimension to this threat: smuggling routes from Bangladesh. These routes appear to be facilitated by networks allegedly connected to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency.
This new route has opened up after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government last month, which led to traditional anti-India radical forces to come together without fear of law enforcement agencies.