Imphal, Dec 9 (IANS) Security forces in Manipur have arrested five militants of two banned extremist outfits from Imphal West district and recovered some arms and ammunition, officials said on Tuesday.

A police official said that the five militants belonging to the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and Socialist Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (SOREPA) were arrested from different locations in Imphal West district during the past 24 hours.

The arrested cadres, aged between 23 and 41, belonging to UNLF and SOREPA, were involved in forcibly collecting subscriptions from government employees, contractors, traders, and even common citizens.

A car, one two-wheeler, fake identity cards, seven mobile phones, several other materials and a cash amount of around Rs 4 lakh were recovered from their possession. With the latest arrest of militants, 23 extremists of seven banned outfits were arrested during the past three days from five districts in the Imphal valley region.

Most of the insurgents were arrested from the Imphal West district. The security forces also recovered some arms and ammunition from the Imphal West district.

The recovered arms and ammunition include, two single barrel gun, one stun grenade, one smoke grenade, one 36-HE grenade without detonator, one SMG (Carbine) empty magazine, five 7.62 mm AK series rifle ammunition, fourteen 5.56 mm INSAS ammunition, five .303 ammunition, two Baofeng radio set with charger, thirty 7.62 mm of SLR ammunition, three helmet and two 16 mm cartridge signal.

The security forces comprising the central and state continue extensive crackdowns against militants, with search operations and area domination drives underway in fringe, mixed-populated and vulnerable areas across districts.

A total of 113 nakas/checkpoints have been set up across Manipur in both valley and hill districts, to curb the illegal movement of inimical elements and suspicious vehicles.

Security forces have also been providing escorts to vehicles, including trucks carrying essential commodities, along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37). Strict security arrangements and convoy protection continue in sensitive stretches to ensure the safe movement of vehicles. Manipur Police have urged the public not to believe rumours and to be wary of fake videos on social media.

“The veracity of any circulation of unfounded videos or audio clips may be confirmed from the Central Control Room. Uploading and circulating fake posts on social media will attract legal action,” a police statement warned.

The Manipur Police also appealed to all concerned to immediately return the looted arms, ammunition and explosives to the police or the nearest security forces.

Various reports, political parties claimed that during the ethnic riots, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, over 6,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of different types of ammunition were looted from the police stations and police outposts by the mobs, attackers and militants.

Responding to the state government’s appeal, a large number of looted and illegally held weapons, including several sophisticated arms, along with a huge cache of ammunition, have been returned to the security forces.

–IANS

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