Imphal, Mar 11, 2025, IANS

Imphal, March 11 (IANS) Two minor girls, allegedly recruited by a militant outfit, were rescued from the Kakching bazar area under the Kakching district and the Wangbal Laikon area under the Thoubal district in Manipur, officials said here on Tuesday. A police official said the girls were rescued during a search operation on Monday. Police also arrested two active cadres of People's Liberation Army (PLA) from the Kakching Bazar area. The PLA cadres were identified as Moirangthem Romen Singh (23) and Nongmaithem Mohendro Singh (54). One two-wheeler and two mobile sets were recovered from their possession. The official said that the PLA militants were involved in recruiting these girls in their outfit. The rescued minor girls have been produced before the Chairperson, the Child Welfare Committee in Thoubal district for further formalities. In separate search operations, five other militants were arrested from three districts -- Bishnupur, Imphal East, and Imphal West. The militants belonging to Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), United People’s Party of Kangleipak (UPPK) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) outfits were arrested, and four grenades, one pistol, some varied ammunition, one two-wheeler, and few incriminating documents were recovered from them. In a separate incident, the Army and the Assam Rifles in a joint operation dismantled a makeshift camp of the banned militant outfit United Kuki National Army (UKNA) in a forest near Songphu village in Churachandpur district. Four temporary bamboo huts were set up in the camp. The UKNA is not a signatory of the Suspension of Operations pact with the central government. Meanwhile, normal life was affected in Kuki-Zo areas of Manipur for the third day on Tuesday due to the indefinite shutdown called by the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex body of the tribals, to protest the resumption of the bus services between the state capital Imphal and the hill districts and the police action in the tribal areas on Saturday. Tribal leaders claimed that the indefinite shutdown was total and successful in Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, and Pherzawl districts. "The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) leaders on Monday held an inconclusive meeting with the government officials about the withdrawal of the indefinite shutdown. The meeting will be held on Tuesday also," a tribal leader told IANS over the phone. The COTU, which is a constituent of KZC, has been demanding the transfer of the Superintendent of Police of Kangpokpi district, the cancellation of bus services and a government apology over the killing of Lalgouthang Singsit according to customary law. On March 8, at least 43 people, including 27 security personnel, were injured and a protester was killed during the clashes in Kangpokpi and a few other districts as the Kuki-Zo tribal organisations protested against the resumption of the bus services between Imphal and the hill districts. The bus services were resumed on Saturday by the Manipur State Transport Corporation under security to alleviate public inconvenience and as an initiative to bring back normalcy in the state.