Indo-Myanmar border fencing damaged in Manipur sector

A section of border fencing along the Manipur sector of Indo-Myanmar international border was found damaged yet again in Chandel district.
Earlier, around 150–200 meters of the border fencing near border pillar 68 near Changpol village in the same district was found cut by miscreants on the night of December 2, 2025.
This time too, around 150 to 200 meter stretch of the fencing between border no. 62 and 62/2 subsidiary pillars near New Somtal village under Molcham police station of Chandel district were found cut and dismantled. The fencing was found systematically cut at the base and brought down on the ground, officials said.
The district police suspected the miscreants dismantled the fencing at the border sharing with Myanmar’s Chin state and partially with the Sagaing state during the wee hours of January 14 and 15.
Personnel of the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) engaged in the construction of the fencing discovered the damage on Thursday (January 15) around 9 am.
The personnel discovered the damage when they reached the spot for their routine work and immediately informed the authorities after noticing the vandalism.
They found cutting at least 47 hollow circular fencing poles while dismantling the fencing. The police registered an FIR at Molcham police station for further investigation , the source said. Security forces have also been deployed along the affected stretch of the international border, the source added.
This is the second time border fencing was cut after the December 2 incident in which border fencing was found dismantled by the miscreants at border pillar no. 68 near Changpol village.
The Centre under the union ministry of home affairs initiated the Indo-Myanmar fencing to prevent illegal influx and cross-border activities including weapons smuggling and drug trafficking.
Tribal living in the border area have opposed the ongoing construction of the border fence, saying it directly affects village land and disrupts the lives of border residents. They were backed by various Naga and Kuki based CSOs.
In spite of objections raised by the CSOs, the Centre recently stepped up work on fencing the Manipur sector of the Indo-Myanmar border.
The Centre is proceeding with plans to fence the entire 1,643-km border with Myanmar, including the Manipur sector, as part of a broader strategy to enhance border security and manage the Free Movement Regime (FMR).