IMPHAL, Nov 29, ? Indian Army have claimed that it has destroyed a major camp of the separatist Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) in an interior area of Churachandpur district in Manipur bordering Myanmar and Mizoram. The advancing Indian troops have started deploying in Khongtal areas in Chandel district of Manipur sharing border with Myanmar for large-scale counter-insurgency operations there, official sources said here on Monday.
Army using the Remote Sensing Satellite System had detected at least 120 militant camps in interior parts of the three districts of Churachandpur, Chandel and Bishenpur. Most of the militants? camps at Singhat in the same district had been earlier destroyed in the three-month-long counter-insurgency operations, particularly in the three districts, the sources said.
Army personnel busted the KYKL camp which comprised 32 huts, two training grounds, a firing range and a playfield with the recovery of one rifle with magazine and ammunition, 10 grenades, two radio sets and 40 kg of explosive materials at Singhat and Behiang areas near Manipur-Myanmar border on Sunday. With this, the Army re-established a civil administration in the Singhat subdivisional headquarters and held a function to mark the reinstatement of all Government offices on November 29.
The militants, however, escaped through thick jungles. The Army had earlier destroyed a major camp of the separatist People?s Liberation Army at Theigotang on November 6 and 7 in Churachandpur district. Official sources said that the operations would be intensified in other districts such as Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong in northern, western and eastern portions of the State by using Central para-military forces.
The operations are being carried out under the United Command Structure of Army, para military and State forces with Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh as the convener. Army has claimed to have killed 36 rebels of different outfits besides the arrest of 65 cadres and recovering of over 35 sophisticated weapons.
The frontline banned insurgent outfit, the United National Liberation Front has also claimed to have killed 23 army personnel though its three activists lost their lives in the repulsive actions. The UNLF fighting for an independent Manipur for the past 40 years had already warned the Chief Minister against the deployment of additional Central forces in the operations against the outfits. Over 22 outfits make their presence felt in the State from time to time.