Imphal: Security forces arrested three Kuki militants in Manipur, including two suspects in the recent killing of three Meitei firewood collectors. They also seized 12 firearms, ammunition and poppy seeds during intensified operations.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said on Tuesday that joint operations began after Monday’s ambush at Khongban Sanurok, in which three people were killed and four others injured.
Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and CoBRA conducted a search operation in S Phailenkot and nearby villages under Sagolmang police station.
Preliminary questioning led to the arrest of the three suspects. Two of them reportedly confessed to their roles in the killings of the civilians.
Further raids led to the seizure of several weapons, including INSAS, AK-47, sniper and M16 rifles, a lethod gun and a makeshift rocket launcher.
Security personnel also recovered 1,099 rounds of ammunition of different calibres, a Pompi bomb, Chinese hand grenades, communication equipment, tactical uniforms and poppy seeds.
In a separate operation, state police, CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, Assam Rifles and the Army raided Sinai Camp, a designated Suspension of Operations (SoO) site.
Lhatoo said 17 people were detained at the camp after their identities did not match the official cadre registers maintained by the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and Kuki National Front (KNF).
An investigation is underway after officials found discrepancies involving ammunition and magazines listed in the camp’s inventory. Authorities are also checking the seized weapons against security databases.