Assam Rifles Neutralize 10 Militants In Manipur’s Chandel District; Arms Recovered

Guwahati: In a major counter-insurgency operation, at least 10 militants were killed in an encounter with the Assam Rifles in Manipur's Chandel distric and recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the site, officials said.

Defence Officials said that the encounter occurred near New Samtal village in the Khengjoy area of Chandel district, close to the Indo-Myanmar border, after troops detected suspicious movement of armed militants.

"Acting on specific Intelligence on movement of armed cadres near the New Samtal village, Khengjoy tehsil, Chandel district, close to the Indo-Myanmar border, Assam Rifles unit under Spear Corps launched an operation on May 14," the Indian Army's Eastern Command said in an official statement.

"During the operation, the troops were fired upon by suspected cadres to which they quickly reacted, redeployed and retaliated in a calibrated and measured manner. In the ensuing firefight, 10 cadres were neutralised and a sizeable quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered," the statement added.

While the identities of the slain militants have not yet been disclosed, officials have indicated that the operation marks a major blow to insurgent activities in the region.

This encounter comes amid heightened anti-insurgency operations across Manipur targeting various militant groups operating in the state.

On the same day, a joint operation by combined security forces led to the arrest of 14 militants belonging to banned extremist outfits, along with the detention of three illegal arms dealers.

The arrests were made in coordinated raids across four districts -- Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Tengnoupal -- over a span of 24 hours.