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CoBRA is India’s premier counter-insurgency strike force, trained in guerrilla tactics, jungle warfare, intelligence-led operations, and precision strikes in difficult terrain
People block a road in protest after two children were killed and their mother was injured in a bomb attack, in Bishnupur district, Manipur. (PTI File)
In a first, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the deployment of two CoBRA battalions in Manipur, marking the first time India’s elite jungle warfare unit will operate in the conflict-affected northeastern state.
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), the CRPF’s specialised anti-Naxal force, has until now been deployed primarily in Maoist-affected heartland states. Its induction into Manipur signals a notable shift in the Centre’s security strategy for the region after wiping off Naxalism.
The approval follows a formal proposal by the Central Reserve Police Force. One battalion each will be drawn from Assam and West Bengal. “The proposal submitted by the CRPF was examined in the Ministry, and approval was conveyed for the mobilisation of 2 Bns of CoBRA to Manipur for operational duties,” an official said, quoting the document.
Why CoBRA is important
Raised in 2008, CoBRA is India’s premier counter-insurgency strike force, trained in guerrilla tactics, jungle warfare, intelligence-led operations, and precision strikes in difficult terrain. It has been battle-tested across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Bihar but never before deployed in Manipur.
Officials say the force’s specialised capabilities are now deemed necessary given the nature of ongoing security challenges in the state’s remote and forested districts, where conventional policing has limitations.
The background
Manipur has remained under heightened security alert since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, leaving hundreds dead, thousands displaced, and vast swathes of property destroyed. While large-scale clashes have reduced, sporadic firing, armed confrontations, and attacks by armed groups continue in several areas.
The Centre has maintained a substantial Central Armed Police Forces presence in the state alongside peace initiatives and community dialogue efforts.
The CoBRA deployment, unprecedented for Manipur, is expected to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of security forces, particularly in terrain where the unit’s jungle warfare expertise can be most effectively applied.
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