Imphal: Manipur Police have arrested 17 militants across three districts and seized vehicles, cash, and other items from various extremist groups, officials reported on Monday. According to a police spokesperson, 13 militants were arrested on Sunday in Imphal West district, while three were captured in Imphal East district and one in Tengnoupal district, near the Myanmar border.
Among those arrested, three were female militants. The militants were affiliated with several insurgent groups, including the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), United People’s Party of Kangleipak (UPPK), and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). They were involved in extorting money from officials, contractors, traders, and civilians, as well as trafficking arms and ammunition, and committing various other crimes.
The police also recovered 14 mobile phones, two cars, one two-wheeler, Rs 1.07 lakh in cash, and several incriminating documents. Joint search operations by the Army, paramilitary, and other security forces are continuing across more than 10 districts to recover looted arms and ammunition. Additionally, security forces are conducting area domination operations in vulnerable mixed-population areas of hill and valley districts to apprehend militants and armed cadres.
While the situation in five hilly districts, including Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, and Tengnoupal, remains tense, it is currently calm. A large deployment of security forces, both state and Central, has been made in these districts, including Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Pherzawl, and Jiribam.
On Saturday, clashes erupted in Kangpokpi and other districts, resulting in injuries to 43 people, including 27 security personnel, and the death of a protester. The unrest was sparked by protests from Kuki-Zo tribal organizations against the resumption of bus services between Imphal and the hill districts, which were intended to ease public inconvenience and restore normalcy to the region.