Manipur Police, in coordination with Central Security Forces, on Saturday recovered and defused eight improvised explosive devices containing about 33 kg IEDs in the Saichang Itham area of Imphal East district, foiling yet another major tragedy, said an informed official.
As part of continuing search operations in response to the Manipur crisis, the combined team of Manipur police and central forces continues to recover arms, ammunition, explosives, and other contraband on a near-daily basis, particularly from vulnerable areas across Manipur, the official added.
It averted possible damage to farmers and cattle grazers in Moirangpurel and Itham villages of Imphal East.
This comes hours after an earlier incident on April 13 where two Kuki militants were allegedly killed in a clash with security forces in Itham Moirangpurel of Imphal East district.
The fight began after the alleged Kuki militants launched an attack from Kamu Saichang towards the villages of Tumokhong and Itham Moirangpurel. Security forces recovered two weapons, including an AK-47 and a folding INSAS rifle, from the deceased militants.
In a statement, the Indian Army also admitted that the operation was made possible because of specific intelligence inputs.
It was due to the professional acumen of the Bomb Disposal Team that the IEDs, weighing around 33 kg, were neutralized. As underlined by the army, this action was a severe blow to the inimical elements’ plans for undertaking subversive activities in the region.