The Central government has decided to dispatch 50 additional companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising over 5,000 personnel, to Manipur to address the “challenging” security and law and order situation, official sources said on Monday.

This follows the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) deployment of 20 CAPF companies—15 from the CRPF and five from the BSF—last week after violence erupted in Jiribam district and spread to other areas. A news agency reported that the newly sanctioned units, set to arrive this week, include 35 companies from the CRPF and 15 from the BSF, bringing the total number of CAPF companies in the state to 218.

Manipur has been grappling with ethnic violence since May last year, prompting the Centre to reimpose the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in six police districts last Thursday. The MHA has warned of strict action against individuals engaging in violence or disruptive activities as the situation remains tense.