Two cadres of Myanmar-based militant outfit held in Manipur, arms seized

The two cadres of CKLA were apprehended from the Chaijang area along the India-Myanmar border on Monday

Imphal: Two cadres of a Myanmar-based militant group were arrested in Manipur’s Churachandpur district after arms and ammunition were seized from their possession, police said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the arrest of Chin Kuki Liberation Army (CKLA) members and the recovery of weapons have “yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilising both Manipur and our nation”.

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The two cadres of CKLA were apprehended from the Chaijang area along the India-Myanmar border on Monday, police said in a statement.

“In a major breakthrough by Manipur Police and Central armed forces, multiple weapons, ammunition, drugs and cash have been apprehended from Myanmar-based militant group CKLA,” the chief minister said on X, formerly Twitter.

The seized weapons include AK47, Insas, Sniper and M16 rifles along with a huge cache of ammunition, he said, adding that opium weighing about 2.5 kg, over Rs 4.86 lakh in cash and various other items were also recovered.

“Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken up cases wherein it was particularly stated that there exists a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar and Bangladesh-based leadership of terror outfits to wage war against the Government of India by exploiting the current unrest in Manipur.

“Today’s apprehension of CKLA cadres and the recovery of weapons has yet again underscores a transnational plot aimed at destabilizing both Manipur and our nation,” the chief minister said on the micro-blogging site.

CKLA is a non-signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO).

The SoO was signed by the Centre, the Manipur government and two conglomerates of militant outfits. The pact was first signed in 2008 and extended periodically.

More than 180 people have been killed and several hundreds injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.