Imphal, April 16: Manipur Police arrested 14 militants of different outfits and recovered arms, ammunition, cash, incriminating documents from their possession in the last 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.
A senior police officer said that these 14 extremists were arrested from six districts – Thoubal, Imphal East, Imphal West, Tengnoupal, Bishnupur and Jiribam. Of the 14 ultras, four cadres each were arrested from Imphal East and Thoubal districts while three were held from Tengnoupal district, one each from Imphal West, Bishnupur and Jiribam districts.
The detained militants belonged to Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), PREPAK and Socialist Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (SOREPA) outfits.
The arrested militants were involved in various crimes including extortion of money from the government employees, contractors, traders and common people in different districts. According to the police official, pistols, high power grenades, mobile handsets, one car, several two-wheelers and many incriminating documents were recovered from the detainees.
The official said that Rs 21.50 lakh was recovered from one of the UNLF militants arrested in Bishnupur district. He said that search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts.
During these operations, temporary shelters of a training camp for Village Volunteers were dismantled at Gelmol village in Churachandpur District. Meanwhile, a Defence spokesman said that in a series of joint operations during the past one week, the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and Manipur Police have recovered illegally-held 77 arms, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), grenades, various ammunition and war-like stores from seven districts — Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Kakching, Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Imphal West.
He said that the recovered arms include Carbines, Self-Loading Rifles (SLR), AK series rifles, AK series rifles, .303 Light Machine Guns (LMGs), Carbine Machine Guns, .303 Rifles, INSAS rifles, Snipers rifles, double-barrelled rifles, single-barrelled Bolt Action Rifles and pistols. The security forces in the joint operations also arrested nine militants of different outfits.
IANS