Manipur: 10 militants gunned down in fierce encounter, operation underway

Imphal (Manipur), May 15: In a major crackdown on insurgent groups, Assam Rifles gunned down at least 10 militants in a fierce encounter in Manipur’s Chandel district.

Join the Whatsapp Channel to Get News updates in english

After detecting suspicious movement of armed militants, the security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation near New Samtal village in the Khengjoy area of Chandel district, close to the Indo-Myanmar border.

As the forces zeroed-in on the spot, hiding militants opened fire prompting a decisive retaliation from the troops which led to the encounter.

As per reports, the operation began on Wednesday and is currently underway. The security forces have recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the site.

The identities of the killed militants haven't been revealed yet, but officials say the operation is a big setback for insurgent groups in the area.

This clash happened during increased anti-insurgency efforts across Manipur, aiming at different militant groups in the state.

On the same day, security forces arrested as many as 14 militants from banned extremist groups and detained three illegal arms dealers in a joint operation.

The arrests were made during coordinated raids across four districts—Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Tengnoupal—over a 24-hour period.

Police officials say the arrested militants belong to four banned groups: Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP). These groups have been involved in insurgent activities in the region for a long time.

The militants are said to have been involved in crimes like kidnapping, extorting money from contractors, government workers, traders, and the public.

During the crackdown, security forces seized weapons, ammunition, Aadhaar cards, important documents, and other evidence from the arrested militants.