SOBHAPATI SAMOM | ITHAI VILLAGE (MANIPUR), April 17 – Army has claimed to have gunned down 12 militants in its six-day ‘Operation Summer Storm’ in and around Keibul Lamjao, a floating national park in Manipur’s Loktak Lake.
Maj Gen Shakti Gurung, GOC, 57 Mountain Division confirmed this in an interaction with media persons in Imphal on Friday. The army operation in Keibul Lamjao which is the home of rare deer Sangai (brow antlered deer) was launched on the night of April 11 and 12.
“We have so far eliminated 12 militants in five major encounters during the operation in the sanctuary”, the GOC said. “We have also recovered 10 weapons including 6 AK series rifles, one each of Lethode gun and 9mm Mauser gun and two 9mm pistols besides ammunition”.
Reporters who visited RIMS mortuary in Imphal on Friday found 10 bodies of slain militants of which eight were identified.
The on-going operation is the second in the recent past. The army had conducted an operation in September last year where a camp of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) was destroyed.
In the latest operation, five Prepak camps have been destroyed, the GOC said and added, “this time the operation was systematically carried out as we conducted electronic surveillance of the area”.
Extra care and caution has been taken not to cause any collateral damage to the locals and their livestock, he added. The Army has been extremely careful with regard to the safety of the people in the affected areas who were advised to move to relatively safe areas as soon as it became operationally and logistically feasible.
“This operation has dealt a severe blow to the PREPAK outfit and will go a long way in ushering an era of peace in Manipur”, the army official said. He added that Forest officials had been advised not to enter the sanctuary only for their personal safety. Throughout the operation, due care has been taken to protect the Sangai and no harm has been caused to this endangered species.
Meanwhile, around 2,000 villagers mostly fishermen and women have been displaced in view of the ongoing armed conflict. Most of them were taking shelter at Ithai, Laphupat Tera and other nearby villages. Manipur DGP Y Joykumar, who attended the interaction, said that the State police is trying to procure 3 hovercrafts worth Rs 5 crore to flush out the anti-socials from the Lake area.
PTI adds: Twelve militants, mostly belonging to banned PREPAK, were killed in the joint operation by the army, Assam Rifles and Manipur police. The GOC said the operation was continuing but there was no damage to the wildlife santuary.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com
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Maj Gen Shakti Gurung, GOC, 57 Mountain Division confirmed this in an interaction with media persons in Imphal on Friday. The army operation in Keibul Lamjao which is the home of rare deer Sangai (brow antlered deer) was launched on the night of April 11 and 12.
“We have so far eliminated 12 militants in five major encounters during the operation in the sanctuary”, the GOC said. “We have also recovered 10 weapons including 6 AK series rifles, one each of Lethode gun and 9mm Mauser gun and two 9mm pistols besides ammunition”.
Reporters who visited RIMS mortuary in Imphal on Friday found 10 bodies of slain militants of which eight were identified.
The on-going operation is the second in the recent past. The army had conducted an operation in September last year where a camp of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) was destroyed.
In the latest operation, five Prepak camps have been destroyed, the GOC said and added, “this time the operation was systematically carried out as we conducted electronic surveillance of the area”.
Extra care and caution has been taken not to cause any collateral damage to the locals and their livestock, he added. The Army has been extremely careful with regard to the safety of the people in the affected areas who were advised to move to relatively safe areas as soon as it became operationally and logistically feasible.
“This operation has dealt a severe blow to the PREPAK outfit and will go a long way in ushering an era of peace in Manipur”, the army official said. He added that Forest officials had been advised not to enter the sanctuary only for their personal safety. Throughout the operation, due care has been taken to protect the Sangai and no harm has been caused to this endangered species.
Meanwhile, around 2,000 villagers mostly fishermen and women have been displaced in view of the ongoing armed conflict. Most of them were taking shelter at Ithai, Laphupat Tera and other nearby villages. Manipur DGP Y Joykumar, who attended the interaction, said that the State police is trying to procure 3 hovercrafts worth Rs 5 crore to flush out the anti-socials from the Lake area.
PTI adds: Twelve militants, mostly belonging to banned PREPAK, were killed in the joint operation by the army, Assam Rifles and Manipur police. The GOC said the operation was continuing but there was no damage to the wildlife santuary.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com
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