Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: Security forces have dismantled 61 illegal bunkers and removed several unauthorized checkpoints across Manipur’s hill and valley districts during an extensive crackdown carried out over the past 36 hours, according to the Manipur Police‘s morning bulletin issued on Thursday.
The large-scale operation involved nearly 6,000 personnel who conducted coordinated search, combing, and area-domination exercises in multiple sensitive locations across the state.
A major part of the operation was concentrated in the Leimakhong area, covering Leilon Vaiphei, Leilon Khunou, L. Munlui, and Konsakhul villages in Kangpokpi district. During the exercise, security forces dismantled 30 bunkers, outposts and strategically positioned camps allegedly used by anti-social elements.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of a substantial quantity of arms and military-related equipment. Seized items included eleven 12-bore single-barrel breech-loading (SBBL) guns, 294 live rounds of ammunition, 34 spent cartridges, two packets of gunpowder and six bulletproof jackets.
Four individuals were detained during the operation and are currently undergoing verification, officials said.
The latest action follows similar security drives launched on June 17. In the Saikul subdivision of Kangpokpi district, security forces destroyed four illegal bunkers, including two in each of the villages of Thingphai and C. Kholen. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Churachandpur district, personnel demolished a bunker and an unauthorised checkpoint in the S. Nabil and Loilamkoi areas.
Authorities said the operations are part of an ongoing effort to restore normalcy and strengthen law and order by removing illegal fortified structures and checkpoints established in conflict-prone regions.
Earlier, on June 16, security forces had destroyed 26 illegal bunkers in the sensitive Ukhrul district. According to officials, the structures had been erected by anti-social elements linked to rival Naga and Kuki groups amid ongoing tensions in the region.
The security establishment has indicated that such operations will continue in vulnerable areas to prevent armed activities and ensure public safety.