Manipur Starlink Row: Elon Musk Breaks Silence Over Alleged Use Of Starlink Devices By Insurgents

Per recent reports doing the rounds on social media, Spear Corps, a joint search operation formed with the coalition of Indian Army troops and the Assam Rifles, security forces in coordination with the local Manipur Police, stumbled across a cache of ammunition and communication devices used by insurgents in the state. In its search operations in Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kagpokpi’s hinterlands, the Spear Corps recovered 29 weapons, including snipers, rifles, pistols, country-made mortars, grenades and more from Imphal’s Khunou on December 13. The communication devices with Starlink signage from the cache are unmissable and quickly went viral over the internet, with netizens alleging Elon Musk and the American government’s involvement, among other crazy conspiracy theories.

Search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During the search operations, the following items were recovered:
i. 01 (one) no. of MA4 Assault Rifle, 01 (one) no. of 12 Bore Single Barrel… pic.twitter.com/Ls4lwx9Opu
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) December 13, 2024

Acting on specific intelligence, troops of #IndianArmy and #AssamRifles formations under #SpearCorps carried out joint search operations in the hill and valley regions in the districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kagpokpi in #Manipur, in close coordination with… pic.twitter.com/kxy7ec5YAE
— SpearCorps.IndianArmy (@Spearcorps) December 16, 2024

Responding to the reports, Elon Musk tweeted twice, stating

This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India. The beams were never on in the first place

Acting on specific intelligence, troops of #IndianArmy and #AssamRifles formations under #SpearCorps carried out joint search operations in the hill and valley regions in the districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kagpokpi in #Manipur, in close coordination with… pic.twitter.com/kxy7ec5YAE
— SpearCorps.IndianArmy (@Spearcorps) December 16, 2024

The beams were never on in the first place
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024

For the unversed, the North Eastern state of Manipur has been burning for over a year in the worst ethnic conflict in decades, claiming hundreds of lives, over a thousand injured, and over 60,000 displaced since May 2023. Over 400 churches have been burned and vandalized. Partisan killings by the security forces have been claimed by both groups, who have suffered the brunt of the violence, combined by the apathy of the center, even as the globe-trotting PM of the country evades visiting the burning state.

Will Modi visit Manipur before GTA-6?