Security forces arrest 13 militants in joint operations across Manipur

Guwahati: Security forces, in separate joint operations conducted across different Manipur districts, have arrested 13 militants belonging to various banned outfits.

Security forces also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from different districts, including Chandel district, which shares an unfenced border with Myanmar.

A police spokesman said the 13 militants were apprehended in Bishnupur, Imphal West, Imphal East, Chandel and Kakching districts during coordinated operations conducted by the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles and other Central forces.


The arrested militants belong to the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the Socialist Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (SOREPA), the UPPK, and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK).

According to the spokesman, the arrested militants were reportedly involved in various crimes and illegal activities, including attacks on people, kidnapping, forcible collection of "subscriptions" and recruitment of youths into the banned outfits.

Some arms and ammunition, incriminating documents, a few cars, several two-wheelers, subscription receipts and other secret documents were recovered from the arrested militants.

The arms and ammunition recovered included a foreign-made MP-09 rifle, a CMG along with one magazine, a modified .303 rifle along with one magazine, an INSAS rifle with one magazine, seven pistols of different calibres along with a magazine each, eight single-barrel guns, 14 12-bore guns, a double-barrel gun, a Pompi gun, a functional rocket, two hand grenades, a mortar bomb, two land mines, an improvised fragmentation mine, four detonators and a large cache of live bullets.

The security forces also destroyed three illegally constructed bunkers in Taphou Kuki and Taphou Liangmai villages in Senapati district.