Imphal: Commandos of the Manipur Police, with assistance from central security forces, arrested an alleged cadre of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) during a special operation in Imphal East district on Tuesday, police said.
According to a police report issued this morning, the operation was carried out based on intelligence inputs provided by the Assam Rifles. A commando team conducted a surprise operation at Mantripukhri under Heingang police station limits at around 7 p.m., leading to the arrest of Lanhungba Khumba (29).
During the operation, police recovered a .32 pistol with a magazine loaded with four live rounds, two mobile phones with a charger, and a black Pulsar N160 two-wheeler without registration.
According to police, this was the first arrest of an NSCN (IM) cadre in the Manipur valley area this year. The arrested person and the seized items have been handed over to the concerned police station for further legal proceedings.
The NSCN (IM) has been in talks with the Government of India since 1997 following a ceasefire agreement to end hostilities and pursue a political settlement.
While several rounds of negotiations have taken place and a framework agreement was signed in 2015, the dialogue has remained stalled in recent years over unresolved core issues, including the group’s demands on sovereignty and a separate flag and constitution.