UKHRUL: The Sikibung Village Authority has strongly condemned the combing operation conducted by a joint team of security forces at Sikibung (Sharkaphung) village on July 14, alleging that the operation led to the illegal apprehension of four innocent civilians and created fear among residents of Naga villages in the area.
In a statement, the village authority said the operation was carried out by personnel from the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, Punjab Regiment, Madras Regiment and Bihar Regiment. It alleged that the security forces acted on inaccurate intelligence inputs, resulting in the detention of four members of the village’s Civil Defence Guards.
The authority questioned the timing and conduct of the operation, stating that it came at a time when Naga villagers in the Litan area were already facing uncertainty and tension due to the prevailing situation. It further alleged that the security forces failed to respect local authorities and public interests during the operation.
According to the statement, the operation was based on intelligence allegedly provided by Kuki groups. The village authority claimed that the reported armed ambush at Lungshang Kong, located about 50 to 60 kilometres from Sikibung, had no logical connection to the combing operation in the Litan area or the subsequent detention of the four civilians.
The authority also accused the security personnel of ransacking residential houses, damaging private property, violating the sanctity of a church, breaking the door of the Sikibung Primary School office, and conducting an aggressive search of the school premises during the operation. It described these actions as “unwarranted and uncalled for” and alleged that they were unbecoming of state agencies.
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The village authority has demanded an immediate review of the circumstances surrounding the operation and urged the authorities to thoroughly verify intelligence inputs before launching such actions to prevent innocent civilians from being wrongly targeted. It also sought the unconditional release of the four detained civilians, accountability for those involved in the operation, and measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Further, the authority called on the security forces to cooperate with the village authority in accordance with the law. It also raised concerns over the Bihar Regiment’s occupation of the security outpost at S. Laho/Sikibung, stating that the land had originally been provided by the villagers with the understanding that security personnel would work in cooperation with and provide protection to the local community. The authority warned that if the regiment continued to disregard this understanding, the Indian Army should vacate the land.
