At least 200 Assam Rifles personnel were airlifted to Moreh town in ethnic strife-torn Manipur as the security forces launched an offensive to flush out militants, especially infiltrators from Myanmar suspected to be involved in recent attacks that killed one senior police officer, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Moreh has been on high alert since Tuesday when sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Moreh, Chingtham Anand Kumar was killed and three constables of a reinforcement team sustained bullet injuries in two separate attacks by militants in the border town, 110 km from Imphal.

“The additional personnel were air-lifted, some were also sent to Moreh by road as part of the counter-terror measures. They are involved in identifying militants who are hiding in the town or may have crossed into India from the Indo-Myanmar border,” a senior officer aware of the matter said, requesting anonymity. “Assam Rifles is working with other agencies in the counter-terror operations.”

Though multiple security forces are deployed across Manipur — which has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3 — particularly in Moreh, the addition of reinforcements by Assam Rifles holds significance as the central paramilitary force is also responsible for guarding the Indo-Myanmar border. The force also has its intelligence officers deeply engaged in Moreh in Kuki-dominated Tengnoupal district.

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Security forces are on the lookout for militants from Myanmar who are suspected to be involved in fanning tensions in the northeastern state. On Tuesday, the security forces detained at least 32 Myanmar nationals in Moreh, of whom 10 have been sent to the Foreigners Detention Centre.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing into the conspiracy behind the ethnic clashes that have claimed at least 178 lives in Manipur since May 3, has pointed at involvement of terror groups from Myanmar and Bangladesh in fueling violence.

Empty SoO camps raise concerns

Meanwhile, security forces on Thursday conducted a surprise inspection at three militant camps in Moreh and found them deserted, raising concerns. An official aware of the matter said that around 3 am on Thursday, the forces conducted a surprise inspection in three Moreh villages, housing camps of UKLF (United Kuki Liberation Front) and KNA (Kuki National Army) — both militant outfits — under the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement.

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“The joint search operations were done by police, Border Security Force (BSF), India Reserve Battalion and Assam Rifles. The camps were empty. Probe is on,” the official said, also declining to be named.

The suspension of operations agreement was signed by the Centre and the Manipur government with 25 Kuki militant groups in August 2008. According to terms of SoO agreement, cadres of such militant groups are confined to designated camps, with arms deposited in a safe room under a double-locking system. The outfits are given minimum arms only to guard their camps.

To be sure, the Manipur government in March this year had backed out of the SoO agreement with KNA.