Imphal: In a major crackdown amid the ongoing crisis, security forces arrested three individuals involved in the killing of three Meitei civilians at Sunurok Uyok (Sunulok Hill) in Khongbal on Monday, an official said.
Addressing the media at the Manipur Police headquarters in Mantripukhri, Imphal, on Tuesday evening, Additional Director General (ADGP) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said that a joint team of Manipur Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) CoBRA unit launched intensive operations in the general area of S Phailenkot and its neighbouring villages under Sagolmang Police Station on Monday evening.
During the operations, security forces detained three individuals. Two confessed to their involvement in the killing of three Meitei civilians and the injury of three others at Sunurok Uyok (Sunulok Hill).
The role of the third arrested individual in the heinous crime is being probed, and the investigation is ongoing to identify others involved in the gun attack, said ADGP Lhatoo.
During interrogation, 12 firearms and other ammunition were recovered based on disclosures made by the arrested individuals.
The recovered items include one INSAS rifle, one 16 rifle, one A1 rifle, one AK-47 Type 81 rifle, one 7.62 mm sniper rifle, one Heckler & Koch 5.56 mm rifle, three 12-bore single-barrel guns, one lethode gun and one handmade rocket launcher. Additionally, security forces recovered 1,095 live rounds of various weapons, explosives and other warlike stores during the operations.
The security forces also recovered poppy plant seeds, the senior police officer said.
In another operation launched early this morning, joint teams of Manipur Police, CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, Assam Rifles and the Army launched an operation in the area surrounding Sinai Camp, a designated Suspension of Operation (SoO) camp.
According to the senior police officer, 17 individuals were detained during the search operation at the designated SoO camp. However, the identities of these detained individuals did not match those listed as cadres of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and Kuki National Army (KNA) in the camp. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the identities and organisations of the detained individuals, he said.
The senior police official further highlighted that ammunition and magazines were found missing from the camp, and an investigation was underway to verify the weapons seized by the security forces.
Meanwhile, senior officials of Manipur Police, BSF and CRPF conducted aerial surveillance in the areas where the operations were carried out. Director General of Police, Manipur, Mukesh Singh, also visited Sunulok Hill to oversee the coordinated operations.
The police official further urged the public to remain calm and let the security forces and police carry out their duties to maintain law and order in the state. He also urged the people in the state to exercise restraint and not take the law into their own hands.
He urged all sections of society to cooperate with the police and security forces in maintaining peace and preventing any violence, reiterating the Manipur Police’s commitment to fostering a peaceful and secure Manipur.
Other senior police officers from the BSF and CRPF were also present at the press conference.
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