Manipur: 6 USRA rebels held; arms & ammunition recovered

Imphal: Security forces have arrested six cadres of the proscribed United Socialist Revolutionary Army (USRA), an outfit of the Vaiphei people of Manipur, and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition in Imphal East district on Monday evening.

Upon receiving specific information of the presence of armed insurgents in Andro, a joint team of 6 Assam Rifles under IGAR (South) and Imphal East district commandos carried out detailed frisking and checking at multiple check posts in the area and arrested the six USRA members.

The arrested rebels have been identified as Lenminthang Baite alias Airnesto, 41, of B Phaichon village; S Jamal Vaiphei, 34, of B Vengnom village; Jamkhothang Vaiphei, 50, of New Lamka; Mangku Haokip, 19, of Checkon, New Lambulane; Momon Baite, 19, of Checkon, New Lambulane; and Thangrijoy Baite, 36, of B Phaichon village from Churachandpur district.

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Upon interrogation by security forces, the members of the militant outfit which is under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the government, also revealed about concealment of weapons in K Shoronphai village near Heirokland and Andro Torongthel area which they had been utilising for threatening and carrying out extortion activities.

During the search operation, a huge cache of warfare objects, including one HK rifle with two magazines, 36 live rounds of HK Rifle, one 9mm pistol along with one magazine, four live rounds of 9 mm pistol, 19 live rounds of M-16 rifle, one double barrel gun with 20 live rounds and one Chinese hand grenade were recovered from the spot.

Also, jungle boots, camouflage uniforms and a Maruti Swift car were found in their possession.