Assam Rifles, Army defuse 27 IEDs in Manipur; arrest militants, drug peddler

Imphal: The Assam Rifles and Indian Army bomb disposal teams detected and safely neutralised 27 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during a 48-hour intelligence-led operation along an 8-km route in Manipur’s Kamjong district.

The security forces also arrested three militants belonging to different banned outfits and apprehended a drug peddler in separate operations, officials said on Friday.

A defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles and Indian Army bomb disposal teams detected and safely neutralised the 27 IEDs along the Shangkhalok-Pilong route in the hilly Kamjong district.

The timely operation thwarted attempts to disrupt peace and security in the area and ensured the safe movement of local border communities, the spokesman said, adding that the IEDs had been concealed among bushes along the hill route.

He said that sniffer dogs were also deployed during the operation, while specialised electronic devices were used to detect the explosive devices and facilitate their safe neutralisation.

The successful operation was considered significant in view of the security challenges in the region, particularly along vulnerable routes in the hill districts bordering Myanmar.

Kamjong, along with four other Manipur districts -- Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel and Ukhrul -- shares a 398-km-long unfenced international border with Myanmar, making the region vulnerable to cross-border illegal activities and posing security challenges for the forces deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, security forces have arrested three militants belonging to different banned outfits and apprehended a suspected drug peddler in separate operations in Manipur.

The drug peddler was allegedly carrying brown sugar concealed in 60 soap cases, weighing a total of 785 grams. The arrested drug peddler was identified as Ngamkhojang Kipgen, 35, a resident of Tuidam village in Churachandpur district.

The three arrested militants belong to the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK). They were arrested in separate operations in Imphal East district, officials said.

In another operation, a police official said that, acting on reliable intelligence inputs, a joint team of Manipur Police and central security forces conducted a search operation near the bank of the Waishen River under Wangoi police station in Imphal West district.

During the search, the joint team recovered one 7.62-mm Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) with a magazine, one single-barrel breech-loading firearm, nine assorted live rounds of ammunition and three wireless communication sets. The recovered weapons, ammunition and communication equipment are being examined as part of the ongoing efforts to identify and dismantle militant networks operating in the state.

The security forces, comprising central and state personnel, continue extensive operations against militants and other illegal activities across Manipur. Search operations and area-domination drives are underway in fringe, mixed-populated and vulnerable areas across various districts to prevent militant activities, recover illegal weapons and ammunition, and maintain peace and security.

The operations are part of the continuing efforts by security agencies to strengthen security arrangements, prevent violence and ensure the safety of civilians in the violence-affected state.

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