AR destroys 22 bunkers of So0 militants
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 18 2023: Around 22 bunkers occupied by Kuki militants under Suspension of Op-eration (So0) agreement around Wakanphai village were destroyed in an op-eration carried out by 18 Assam Rifles and a new AR outpost established at the nearby Sadu village.

According to a source, after an AR soldier got killed in an attack by Kuki militants under So0 on May 10, 18 AR deployed at Dolaithabi had been con-ducting operation in the area.

On receiving input of presence of Kuki militants in Wakanphai area, located further from Leitanpokpi, another operation was car-ried out from 11.30 am till 4 pm Thursday.

During the operation, the AR team de-stroyed around 22 bunkers set up and occupied by Kuki militants in the hill areas in and around five villages of Wakanphai.

However, there were no reports of any arrests.

Meanwhile, an AR out-post was opened at Sadu village, which is located adjacent to Wakanphai vil-lage and inhabited by Meitei and Nepali communities, in view of the frequent gun attacks on the villagers by Kuki militants.

On the other hand, leaders of the five villages in Wakan-phai area and Sadu village have signed a peace agreement to prevent any violent incident and to live in harmony on Wednesday.

The leaders ex-pressed hope that the agree-ment would restore peace in and around the area.

Apart from launch of oper-ations to safeguard the civilian population, Army and Assam Rifles are also providing secu-rity to Manipur-bound goods trucks in efforts to maintain the continued supply of essentials to the violence-hit state.

According to defence sources, the movement of vehicles is also being moni-tored by drones.

Since May 15, around 130 vehicles carrying essential items, food grains, medicines and other vital things entered Manipur through various highways, the spokesman said on Thursday.

He said that during the ethnic violence in Manipur, supplies to the non-tribal Meitei community-dominated Imphal valley were cut off due to road blockade, as well as fear amongst transporters.

As a consequence, the sup-ply of essentials in the state was dwindling and beginning to reach critical levels, the defence PRO said, adding that the Army and Assam Rifles stepped in to assure pro-tection to vehicles carrying such goods to and from the Imphal valley and other parts of Manipur.

On Monday, a convoy of 28 vehicles, including trucks, fuel tankers carrying rice, sugar, pulses and fuel, moved under the escort of CRPF and Manipur Police from Noney district to Imphal.

Another set of 100 vehicles were moved on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Prophylactic domination of the area was provided by the Assam Rifles to ensure safe passage to the convoy which reached Imphal valley safely by afternoon.

Security Forces remain committed to restore normal-cy and the commencement of movement of the vehicles on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH37) is another step towards it, the defence sources added.

The ethnic violence in Ma-nipur since May 3 claimed the lives of 73 people and injured 250 others, while 1,800 hous-es were destroyed, while a large number of government and private properties were also damaged.

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