Moreh ops: Vehicles, combat dresses recovered
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 02 2023:
In continuation of the search operations being carried out in Moreh following the fatal attack on SDPO Ch Anand, a combined team of state and central forces recovered vehicles, gun powder and combat dress used by Kuki volunteers/militants on Thursday even as Kuki women in the border town pleaded to all concerned to save them from state commandos.
According to a police report, a joint team of state security forces conducted search operation from 5am till 9.30am Thursday at D Monomphai, Seijang and Leikot villages which are around 1.5 km from Moreh PS and located close to the Indo-Myanmar border.
The team, upon reaching the area for carrying out the operation, came across some personnel of Indian army already present at the location.
Acting on reliable input about presence of the killers of SDPO Anand at D Monomphai, the combined team of Special Commando, Tengnoupal district police, 5 IRB, Manipur Police Commando Moreh, 5AR, BSF and the recently deployed additional commando forces, conducted the cordon and search operation at D Monomphai and the adjacent villages of Seijang and Leikot.
Although the team found all the men in the villages missing, they continued on with the operation.
During the operation, the team recovered two mobile phones, one unregistered Tata DI and six unregistered two-wheelers, two camouflage bullet proof vest/jacket, two sleeveless shirts, one full camouflage t-shirt, two camouflage pants, one hunting boot, two sheathed Khukri, one sheathed machete, three local made pipe guns, gun powder, one Baofeng handset BF-A 58 with two chargers and other warlike equipment from the villages, which reportedly used to have substantial numbers of armed Kukis.
The recovered items have been handed over to Moreh PS for further legal action.
The state combined forces will continue to conduct search operations in Moreh town and nearby villages until all the culprits involved in the killing of SDPO Anand is apprehended.
On top of this, the state forces will continue the area domination by carrying out foot patrolling and setting up mobile check posts to prevent any further disturbance from Kuki militants, the report conveyed.
On the other hand, decrying the search operations being conducted by state security and central forces from Wednesday till Thursday morning, Kuki women from Moreh town and nearby villages thronged the main gate of 5AR COB at Gate No 1 of Moreh Town, and at the gates of BSF stationed at Moreh Government Higher Secondary School and S Moljol, Key Location Point (KLP) of 5 AR at around 4.30pm Thursday.
The women reached the front gate of the camps with packed bags and other items seeking protection from alleged atrocities of state security forces.
They also shouted and held placards inscribed with the slogans like 'Save us from Manipur State Force', 'Save Kuki People', 'Stop immediately combing operation by Manipur State Force at Moreh' and 'Go Back State Forces from Moreh' .
The women implored the AR personnel to save them alleging that the state forces particularly the commandos were using excessive forces and sexually assaulting the Kuki women.
However, AR responded that the operation was jointly conducted with AR personnel and none of the personnel had reported any such incident.
As such, AR denied the protesting women entry to the camps.
Despite the refusal, the women continued to sit in front of the camps late into the night.
Mention may be made here that after Kuki militants shot dead SDPO Ch Anand, additional state forces were sent to Moreh and search operations carried out from early Wednesday morning.
In addition to this, free flow of traffic was restored along Imphal-Moreh route, which had been blocked by Kuki militants and Kuki women to prevent the movement of state forces along the road.
On top of this, the special commando and Moreh Commando team deployed in Moreh had arrested illegal immigrants from Myanmar with stolen items since October.
On Wednesday morning, state forces had detained 44 individuals during a search operation carried out in Moreh Morning Market area for verification, of which 33 were found to be Myanmarese nationals who had entered Manipur illegally.
All 33 were handed over to Moreh PS and 10 of them were brought to Imphal via helicopter, and later placed at the Foreigners Detention Centre in Sajiwa Kail.
On Wednesday, the state forces seized a total of nine Myanmar-originated bikes, bulletproof jackets, and chemical sprayers from different hideouts of the Kuki militants at Moreh border town.
News agencies quoting official sources, said that the two-wheeler bikes and other materials used by the Kuki militants were recovered when a combined team of the state forces intensified search and combing operations in the aftermath of the killing of the SDPO and injuring three police personnel on October 31.During the operations 50 Kuki people were also rounded up for interrogations, the police said, adding that the operations were carried out at Laikoi, Tongkhang, and Seijang from 3 am to 10 am.
In the operations, nine Ken-bo bikes of Myanmar origin, four bulletproof jackets, and chemical sprayers used by the Kuki militants were recovered.
The recovery of these items was the first of its kind since the state witnessed communal violence between the Kukis and Meiteis that started on May 3, 2023 .
The Kuki militants operating in the north-eastern states of India are demanding one goal, a separate Kukiland to be carved out from Manipur.
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