Imphal: After launching a search operation for the past 13 months, authorities recovered a water tanker hijacked by suspected Kuki militants on Monday, March 3.
The Kuki miscreants hijacked the truck, which was driven by a Manipuri Muslim, at gunpoint for supplying water to state forces.
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The hijack took place near the Kondong Lairembi area under the Moreh police station on February 1, 2024, officials said.
The year-long operation proved successful on March 3, 2025, when authorities found the hijacked Tata DI truck in a secluded area of Haolengphai, a Kuki village in Moreh.
However, the tanker had multiple bullet holes, according to sources.
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The armed attackers hijacked the private tanker, which was carrying water for state police commandos in conflict-ridden Moreh.
Radical village volunteers in Tengnoupal district had ordered traders not to sell essential items, including water, to the commandos.
Many of the commandos belong to the Meitei community.
While militants assaulted and threatened the driver, the tanker had remained traceless for the past year.
Notably, the Kuki militants hijacked the tanker on February 1, 2024, for providing water to the state forces stationed in Moreh, despite their advice.
Kuki groups had previously issued a circular that forced shops not to sell even water to the personnel of Manipur Police in Moreh