IMPHAL, Dec 6 ? Manipur government will soon launch a massive combing operation to flush out insurgents in view of the intensified militant activities of the ultras in the state, official sources said on Saturday, reports PTI. The decision to push out the militants was taken during a meeting of the state level apex security coordination committee presided over by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh here Friday evening, they said.
Reviewing the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the meeting decided to deploy security forces at strategic locations apart from sharing intelligence among different security agencies, the sources said. Frequent economic blockades on national highways by different groups, extortion of money from government departments by militants and the danger to lives of innocent civilians also figured during the meeting, sources added. Asked when the government would launch security operations to drive out the ultras, a senior security official told PTI that different security forces had already fanned out to interior areas of the state.
Chief Secretary A P Sharma, Commander of 9 sector Assam Rifles Brig E J Kochekan, top officials from CRPF, senior police and security officials attended the meeting. Sources said the meeting also decided to ask the Centre to send additional forces for deployment on Imphal-Silchar NH-53. The meeting also decided to ask the Centre to send additional forces for deployment on Imphal-Silchar NH 53.
The meeting expressed concern at slow progress of the investigations the recent kidnapping and killing of eight-year old Lungnila Elizabeth, daughter of the General Administration Minister, by militants.