Imphal, May 12 (IANS): Security forces arrested eight militants, including two top extremist leaders belonging to banned outfits in Manipur, and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said on Tuesday. The eight extremists include a self-styled Commander-in-Chief of the Zogam Liberation Front (ZLF), identified as Vincent Pumjamang Taithul (40), and a self-styled advisor of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Khumbongmayum Ananda Meitei alias Lamphel alias Ibomcha (53). The eight militants were arrested from various districts including Churachandpur, Imphal West, Kakching, and Imphal East, with several arms including a few sophisticated weapons, a large cache of ammunition, incriminating documents, and mobile phones recovered from their possession. Four members of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its sister outfit Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) were also held from the Lamlai police station areas under Imphal East district, while three innocent youths who were coerced and detained by the arrested PLA/RPF militants to be recruited into the proscribed outfit were also rescued by security forces.
Intelligence-based combing, cordon, and search operations are being carried out extensively across various districts to apprehend those involved in kidnapping, extortion, and other unlawful activities in the state, the police official added. Search operations and area domination exercises are being conducted by Central and state security forces in fringe, mixed-population, and vulnerable areas across multiple Imphal valley and mountainous districts. To curb the movement of illegal elements and suspicious vehicles, a total of 114 nakas have been set up across Manipur in both valley and hill districts, with security personnel also providing escorts to vehicles including trucks transporting foodgrain and essential commodities along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37), with strict security arrangements and convoy protection measures remaining in place in sensitive stretches. Meanwhile, Manipur Police urged the public not to believe rumours and to remain cautious of fake videos circulating on social media, warning that “the veracity of any circulated videos or audio clips can be confirmed through the Central Control Room” and that “uploading or sharing fake posts on social media will invite legal action.”