Combing Operation in Border town Moreh intensified; 9 more arrested with ammunitions and explosives

Combined security troops of State Police Commandos, Assam Rifles, and the other CAPF continue to hunt for armed militants involved in the Oct 31st attack on a team of state police that killed SDPO Chingtham Anandkumar Singh while inspecting construction works for helipad at Eastern Shine School in the border town Moreh.
At least 9 (Nine) suspected militants were arrested by the SF along with large quantity of ammunition and explosives were arrested from Canan Veng, S. Moljol area of border town Moreh during a combing operation conducted by the SF yesterday evening. In the combing operation which launched in the aftermath of the killing of Ch. Anand on Oct. 31, the SF arrested 32 Myanmar nationals of which 10 were reported to be active cadres of the Kuki militants including a leader of PDF (Myanmar). A source however said that among the 9 suspects arrested today, one has been released.
However, even though the Security advisor to the Chief Minister of Manipur Mr. Kuldiep Singh had stated that the culprits involved in the killing had been identified, the Combined security forces were still unable to arrest the culprits. Source said the SF will continue the operation until the accused in the killing of SDPO Ch. AnandKumar are arrested.
Earlier, yesterday at least eight (8) armed Kuki militants who had fled to the Myanmar site after the Indian security forces conducted an intensive search operation in Moreh, were reportedly killed in three different locations by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) inside Myanmar. Report said that 2 of the militants were killed at Namphalong Nepali Basti in Tamu, Myanmar while another two arrested from the same site were also reported killed in the evening. Source said 2 more Kuki militants were also killed by the Tatmadaw in Khampat in Tamu district yesterday morning. Another 2 kuki militants were also killed in an encounter with the Tatmadaw at 3-mile Checkpoint inside Myanmar. All those killed were suspected to be cadres of KNA and KNA-B who had fled their undesignated camps located at Moreh following the intensified operation carried out by the combined security force. This newspaper also reported that undesignated and designated camps and training centers of the SoO group KNA and the UKLF were not found.
Yesterday, this newspaper reported that large number of women and children of the Chin-Kuki community in Moreh had thronged to the gate of 5 Assam Rifles, seeking help from the state force conducting a combing operation, even as the combing operation is being conducted by a combined force including the Assam Rifles.
Interestingly the 10 Chin-Kuki-Zo MLAs, who have been in self-exile due to concerns over Manipur’s potential disintegration along ethnic lines, have accused the state forces of excessive violence against their community during search operations, without mentioning that the operation is being conducted by joint security forces.
Meanwhile, DIG Range -2 of the Manipur Police H. Jogeshcandra had taken review of the security situation at Moreh town. He reached Moreh Town late yesterday evening. The IGAR (South) Major General Rajan Sherawat also reached Moreh today morning and took stock of the security situation. The IGAR South reportedly met the Kuki women groups along with the DC Tengnoupal and DIG Range -2 and Tengnoupal SP.
Currently the womenfolk of Kuki Chin community are staying in front of the AR camps located at 3 places of Moreh. The IGAR South told the womenfolk that the operation is being conducted by a joint security team including the Assam Rifles and will continue to do so. The IGAR South also clarified that there were no excess conducted from the side of the security forces during the search operation. He told the women folk to return to their villages by evening today or else the AR had to use force as per the order of the District Magistrate.