After Ukhrul ambush, CRPF revises SOPs, trains CoBRA commandos for Manipur
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has intensified its operational strategy in Manipur by providing specialised training to its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has intensified its operational strategy in Manipur by providing specialised training to its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) personnel ahead of their deployment in the violence-hit state. The move comes days after a deadly militant ambush in Manipur's Ukhrul district prompted the force to tighten its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Security officials said the specialised orientation programme was conducted in Assam's Silchar to prepare CoBRA commandos for the unique security challenges in Manipur. Unlike anti-Naxal operations, the force has been trained to handle ethnic unrest, crowd control, law-and-order situations and intelligence-based operations in sensitive civilian areas.
Read Full Story Originally raised for counter-insurgency operations against Left-Wing Extremism in states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra, CoBRA commandos are known for jungle warfare, long-range patrols, ambush and counter-ambush tactics, and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. Officials said the operational environment in Manipur requires a broader skill set due to the state's complex security situation. According to security officials, the Silchar training covered crowd management, convoy protection, area domination exercises, intelligence-led operations, civilian-sensitive policing, joint operations with the Army, Assam Rifles, other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Manipur Police, as well as familiarisation with the local terrain. MOVE COMES AFTER UKHRUL ATTACK The revised strategy follows the July 6 militant attack in Ukhrul district, where insurgents allegedly triggered an IED explosion before opening fire on a security convoy, killing two Assam Rifles personnel and injuring several others.
Following the incident, the CRPF has issued revised SOPs for all units deployed in Manipur. The new guidelines emphasise planned and coordinated troop movement, mandatory route sanitisation, intelligence-based operations, detailed risk assessments before patrols and enhanced accountability of company commanders. Additional caution has also been advised in areas vulnerable to ambushes. To strengthen troop protection, the CRPF has deployed nearly 100 Marksman armoured vehicles across the state. These vehicles are being used for troop movement, area domination patrols and operations in vulnerable districts, providing additional protection against gunfire and explosive attacks. 300 COMPANIES DEPLOYED More than 300 companies of central security forces, including 206 CRPF companies, 100 Border Security Force (BSF) companies, 21 Assam Rifles units, six Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) companies and five Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) companies, are currently deployed in Manipur alongside the Army and state police.
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