Imphal: Security forces continue to hit militant groups in coordinated operations across Manipur. Troops from the Spear Corps of Indian Army, working alongside the Manipur Police, successfully recovered and defused three Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) weighing a combined 20 kg in a jungle stretch between Leishabithol and Ahamadabad in Jiribam district on September 5. Acting on specific intelligence, the joint team conducted massive operations and located the explosives and successfully defused it by the explosive experts of the Army. The troops carried out a controlled demolition on-site, neutralising the threat without any harm to life or property.
Officials of the Indian Army described the operation as a reflection of the close coordination and constant vigilance. They said that timely intelligence and swift action by the troops helped avert major security threats.
UKNA militants neutralised in Churachandpur
In a joint operation carried out by the Assam Rifles and the Indian Army, two cadres of the UKNA militant outfit were neutralised and two others injured following a gunfight in Churachandpur district.
The operation was launched on the intelligence input on the night of August 29, targeting a suspected UKNA hideout in Phaibong village under Henglep Sub-Division. Troops quietly moved in and kept the camp under watch before beginning their final approach at around 5 am on September 2. It was a 5 day long operation which resulted in the elimination of two wanted militants.
According to officials, militants inside the camp opened indiscriminate fire on the approaching troops at approximately 5:30 am. Security forces responded with controlled retaliatory fire, resulting in the neutralisation of two cadres and injuries to two others.
A subsequent search of the camp led to the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition, including two MA rifles, an AK-56 rifle, a 40 mm Lathode gun, seven Lathod grenades, and over a thousand rounds of assorted ammunition. Combat gear such as uniforms, ammunition pouches, backpacks and jungle boots were also seized from the site.
Three UNLF (K) cadres held
Security forces kept up pressure on militant and extortion networks across Manipur, with the Assam Rifles, operating under the Spear Corps, and the Manipur Police carrying out a series of coordinated operations on September 3.
A search operation conducted in Imphal East led to the seizure of six firearms. In a separate follow-up action at Keishampat and Charangpat, security personnel apprehended three active cadres of the UNLF (K) outfit, who were reportedly involved in running an extortion racket in the area.
