Manipur: 17 Kuki militants held after discrepancy in identity checks raise questions | Details

Imphal: As many as seventeen suspected cadres linked to militant groups covered under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement have been arrested in Kangpokpi district of on Saturday. They were taken into custody after security forces detected discrepancies in their identities during verification at a designated camp.

The arrests followed a security operation at Mt Sinai Camp in Saimol village, under Saikul police station. As per police and security officials, the operation involved central security personnel, CRPF’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and Manipur Police, Hindustan Times reported.

Arms and ammunition recovered during operation

Sharing details, officials said that security forces recovered 24 automatic weapons during the operation. Among them were AK-series rifles, G3 rifles, M16 rifles, an SLR and other firearms. They also seized thousands of rounds of ammunition, 34 magazines, 19 wireless communication sets and other military-related equipment.

The search operation reportedly took place for around 90 hours, which started on Tuesday and continued until Friday. Authorities have not publicly established the source of all the recovered weapons or whether they were linked to any specific incident.

Identity verification led to 17 arrests

During physical verification, officials found that the identities of 17 individuals could not be authenticated against the registered list of SoO cadres. Among those arrested, eight were reportedly linked to the Kuki National Organisation/Kuki National Army (KNO/KNA), while nine were linked to the Kuki National Organisation/Kuki Liberation Army (KNO/KLA).

A security official also said that the whereabouts of cadres officially listed as stationed at the camp remained unverified. Investigators are examining possible impersonation, unauthorised possession of weapons and alleged violations of SoO ground rules.

Cases are being pursued under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Arms Act, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act and Explosive Substances Act. Further investigation is underway.