18 weapons recovered from escaped Kuki militants
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, January 31 2014 :
In a major success for the Manipur Police, Imphal East police commandos recovered 18 out of the 25 weapons with which the KNO/KLA militants ran away from their designated camp on January 2 last.
According to official sources, an unspecified number of Kuki National Organisation/Kuki Liberation Army (KNO/KLA) militants deserted their camp at Samusong (Sinai) under Saikul Police Station in Senapati district along with the 25 weapons on January 2 .
Acting on a tip off, a team of Imphal East police commandos recovered 18 weapons during operation from a bush at Twinchin village near Yangangpokpi in Imphal East yesterday about 9:20 pm.
The weapons were found packed inside a sack.
Police sources said the recovered weapons included nine AK-47 and AK 56 series rifles, four M-16 and M-15 series rifles, two SLRs, one AK rifle, one lethod gun, and one G-3 rifle.
All cadres of KNO/KLA and Kuki National Army (KNA), another militant outfit now under suspension of operation, are lodged at the designated camp together.
The KNO/KLA militants led by its guard commander at the camp overpowered two colleagues on sentry duty and escaped from there taking along with them the 25 weapons on the night of January 2, the sources said.
They broke the double locked gun box and took away the weapons.
Among them, the police identified three including the commander as Haoboi alias Amos from Churachandpur district, Gogou alias Michael, and Thangkhopao alias Albert, both from Moreh in Chandel district.
All the KNA cadres were celebrating the New Year when the incident occurred, they said.
Commanding officer of KNA, colonel Paulneo Haokip lodged a written report at the Saikul police over the incident on January 3 .