Imphal, Aug 13 (IANS) Security forces, in a series of joint operations across Manipur, arrested six militants belonging to different banned militant outfits and recovered a cache of arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials during the past 24 hours, officials said on Thursday.
A senior police official said that the six extremists were apprehended from Kakching, Imphal West, and Thoubal districts during coordinated operations jointly carried out by the Manipur Police and other Central forces, including Assam Rifles.
The arrested militants belong to the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and United Kuki National Army (UKNA).
According to the police official, the arrested militants were allegedly involved in various unlawful activities, including kidnapping and the forcible collection of “subscriptions”, and recruitment of youths in the banned outfits.
Security personnel recovered several incriminating documents, subscription receipts, cash, seals, letterheads of the banned outfits and other materials from the possession of the arrested militants.
An AK series rifle with magazine, 12 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, a 9 mm pistol with magazine, a Baofeng radio set and a Royal Enfield bike were recovered from the possession of the two arrested UKNA militants.
In another operation in a tribal-inhabited Senapati district, the security forces also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition. The recovered weapons included five Single-Barrel Breech-Loading guns, a 9 mm Pistol, two Chinese hand grenades, 13 rounds of different calibres, and 33 empty cases.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested an accused in connection with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a residential house in Manipur’s Bishnupur district.
The incident occurred at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in Moirang under Bishnupur District, on April 7 this year and resulted in the death of two minor children and injuries to their mother.
According to Manipur Police, a 5-year-old boy and his 6-month-old sister were killed, while their mother sustained serious injuries, when suspected Kuki militants hurled a powerful bomb at their home in Tronglaobi village in Bishnupur district on April 7 as the victims were asleep.
A Manipur Police official said that the NIA-arrested militant was identified as S Palal Kuki, a resident of old Gelmol Village, Churachandpur district, who had been indulging in subversive and terrorist activities prejudicial to the security of the state and nation.
“During the course of examination, the arrested militant admitted that he was the self-styled Finance Head of the UKNA outfit,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the security forces, comprising the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Manipur Police, have continued extensive counter-insurgency operations, including search operations and area domination exercises, in fringe, mixed-population, and other vulnerable areas across the state.
As part of the intensified security measures, 111 nakas and checkpoints have been set up across the valley and hill districts to monitor the movement of militants, anti-social elements and suspicious vehicles.
The security forces have also been providing armed escorts to trucks and other vehicles carrying essential commodities along the strategically important Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37). Strict security arrangements and convoy protection continue to remain in place along vulnerable stretches of the highway to ensure the safe and uninterrupted movement of passenger and goods vehicles.
–IANS
sc/vd
