'Drone followed us and dropped an explosive'

A section of villagers of Senjam Chirang in Manipur have been forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in a nearby community hall after bombs dropped from a drone injured three members of a local resident's family two days ago.

The first bomb smashed through the roof of a 65-year-old farmer's house, injuring his daughter. Minutes later, another bomb fell from the sky and injured him and his son.

Watham Gambhir said the explosive that broke the roof of his house was the second of the three bombs that were dropped from a drone on Monday evening in his house. The first one damaged his cowshed, which was empty, and the third explosive injured him and his son who took shelter under a tree after fleeing home in Imphal West district.

Drones are a new technology added recently to the weapons used in the violence between the two large ethnic groups -- Meitei and Kuki -- in the northeastern state, which left over 200 people dead since May last year.

The use of the remote-controlled small flying device as a weapon is first noticed in Manipur on Sunday in Koutruk village in Imphal West district. In the attack in which guns were also used, two persons were killed and nine others were injured. Drones were employed again in Senjam Chirang, around three km away, the next day.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh has described the dropping of bombs on the civilian population and security forces using drones as an act of terrorism.

The state government has imposed restrictions on the import of drones or their components.

"We became concerned when we heard the buzzing sound of drones on Sunday. We also heard that bombs were dropped at Koutruk. Our village became the target the next day," said Gambhir.

The elderly farmer told PTI that he initially thought the buzz was coming from random drones checking residential localities as Senjam Chirang has witnessed several gunfights before.

"However, within seconds, we heard a loud explosion. I along with my son rushed outside in the courtyard and saw smoke billowing from the cow shed. The second bomb broke the CI roof of our bedroom where my daughter was and she was injured," he said.

"We ran towards a tree, some 50 metres from the courtyard, to take cover but the drone followed us there and dropped an explosive. We started running again but we were thrown forward under the impact of the blast and were injured after hitting the ground," Gambhir said.

Naoba Singh, a villager volunteer, suspected that hi-tech drones that can be used at night were brought from outside the country.

Both Meiteis and Kukis formed armed volunteer groups to protect their villages from attack by the other community.

Singh said, "If sophisticated weapons can be sourced (from outside the country), why can't sophisticated drones that can be used in the dark be procured by those operating it?"

The three persons injured in the bombings in Senjam Chirang were undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Imphal.

"We are scared now and not staying at home even during the daytime. Around 10 families have taken refuge in a nearby community hall," said another villager W Inao.

A government official said that earlier, the trend was to purchase drones from outside the state but those were used for recreation.

"With the outbreak of the violence, drones have been used by the two warring groups for surveillance and tracking movement of people," he said.

Asked whether the drones engaged in dropping bombs were purchased from outside the country, a central force official told PTI that only an expert can confirm that.

"Without technical know-how or instruction from outside the state, a local militant cannot make improvised drones which can carry heavy payloads," he said.