Imphal, April 20 2009: The 10 day long Operation Summer Storm launched to flush out the armed insurgents from the Loktak lake, during which the Army authorities had claimed at least 12 rebels had been killed, has concluded this evening, informed PRO, PIB (Defense Wing), Col Rajesh Mishra.

He said, security forces have been withdrawn from the Loktak Lake areas.

The operation, which started from the intervening night of April 10 and 11, has concluded today successfully as the SF had achieved the objective of flushing out the rebels from the Loktak lake, he said.

"With the objective of the mission achieved, our troops have been withdrawn from the area by let evening," Col Mishra revealed.

He said that 450 to 500 troops of different security sets ups without the police commandos were engaged in the 10 day long operation.

"Now people of the area could lead a life without fear from threats and extortion," confided Mishra adding that fisherman can go for fishing to the lake freely.

The operation was launched with well pre-plan.

No casualty on the security personnel in any of the gunfight during the fight, he said reacting to the claim of killing eight security men and injuring to many other made by the PREPAK in the statement to the local media.

Rebels taking shelter at the lake areas have dispersed themselves to leave the Lake areas, said the PRO when asked whether they did not found any rebels in their further operation since it start on the night of April 10 .

On the other hand sources said that a good numbers of rebels took shelter in the lake area where the security forces keep cordon off while launching the operation.

But they had managed well to their escaped to the porous areas of the vast water body of the lake.

Security forces did not used artilleries or other more sophisticated weapons during operation.

Only simple but effective weapons used in the normal counter insurgency operation were used, he said.

During the operation at least killed 12 militants mostly PREPAK and busted to five militants camps and seized six AK-series rifles, one lathod launcher, one 9mm mouser pistol, two 9 mm pistols along with huge quantities of ammunitions from the rebels, he said.

"No rebels captured during the operation," Mishra said in a long conversation with the Hueiyen Lanpao.

Mention may be made that as many as 1512 villagers including children have left their homestead since the security forces started launching the operation fear of caught in the cross firing.

They are taking shelter at safer places at Moirang and Ethai areas.

Since then, villagers as well as civil organizations across the state have been pressing the state authority to stop the operation alleging that the operation has caused more damage to the villagers and to the Sangai deer of the Keibul Lamjao national park.

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