3 women among 5 militants arrested in Manipur; arms and ammunition seized

IMPHAL: Five militants, including three women, were arrested by security forces in Manipur’s Thoubal and Imphal East districts, police said on Saturday.According to a police statement, four active cadres of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (Taibanganba) were apprehended from Langthabal Khunou in Thoubal district. They were identified as Konjengbam Babita (45), Lisham Premika Devi (33), Nandeibam Noni Devi (53) and Heikham Ravi Meitei (38).In a separate operation, an active cadre of the PREPAK (PRO) outfit, Chabungbam Kenedy Singh (21), was arrested from Soibam Leikai in Imphal East district.Meanwhile, security forces also recovered arms and ammunition during a search at Ngariyan Chingyang in Imphal East on Thursday. The seizure included a 12-bore double-barrel gun, an INSAS LMG, an SLR rifle magazine, and 47 cartridges.During Independence Day celebrations on Friday, governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla said continuous security operations are being carried out in fringe and vulnerable areas to curb extortion-related activities. He noted that over 3,000 firearms have been seized in the past six months.(With inputs from agencies)