Counter-insurgency ops still on after 10 militants killed by Assam Rifles in Chandel (Ld)

Imphal, May 15 (IANS) Counter-insurgency operations were still underway on Thursday afternoon after the Assam Rifles gunned down 10 militants in an encounter in southern Manipur’s Chandel district, which shares borders with Myanmar, officials said.

Officials in Imphal said that the Assam Rifles unit under Spear Corps launched an operation on Wednesday and the counter-insurgency operations is still continuing in the mountainous terrain of Chandel district, 130 km from the state capital that has scant human habitation.

Security forces in the past 24 hours arrested seven ultras belonging to various banned militant outfits from different districts of Manipur.

Indian Army's Eastern Command earlier said that acting on specific Intelligence on movement of armed cadres near New Samtal village, Khengjoy Tehsil under Chandel district along the India-Myanmar border, Assam Rifles troops under Spear Corps launched an operation on Wednesday.

“During the operation, the troops were fired upon by suspected cadres to which they quickly reacted, redeployed and retaliated in a calibrated and measured manner. In the ensuing firefight 10 cadres were neutralised and a sizeable quantity of arms and ammunition have been recovered,” Army's Eastern Command said in a post on the X handle.

The identities of the slain militants have not yet been disclosed. The operation marks a major blow to insurgent activities in the mountainous region of the trouble-torn Manipur.

Hilly Chandel is inhabited by tribals of different ethnic groups including Nagas.

Manipur has a 398-km-long unfenced International Border with Myanmar.

Border Road Organisation (BRO) started work last year to fence the challenging frontiers.

Thursday’s operation against the militants is one of the major counter- insurgency operations after the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 between the non-tribal Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribals.

Meanwhile, in separate developments, security forces arrested seven militants belonging to various banned militant outfits from different districts of Manipur.

A police official said that the seven extremists were arrested from five districts -- Thoubal, Imphal West, Kakching, Bishnupur and Churachandpur.

The seven arrested guerrillas belong to the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Khonoma Khaccha Land Army (CKLA)/United People's Liberation Front (UPLF).

The police official said that the guerrillas were involved in abduction, various crimes, forcible collection of money from contractors, traders, government employees, common men and others.

Some arms and ammunition, Aadhaar cards, some incriminating documents and various other materials were recovered from the 14 arrested militants.

The combined security forces have continued search operations and area domination in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts.

--IANS

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