A combined force of Special Commando, CDO Moreh, Moreh Police, 5th IRB, BSF and AR carried out search operations at three villages in Moreh on Thursday, during which the SoO camps of UKLF and KNA were reportedly found empty and abandoned.
The joint team destroyed a Kuki militant shelter, seized arms and vehicles during search operations within Moreh Sub-Division, Tengnoupal district.
The search operations were carried out following the cold-blooded murder of SDPO Moreh Ch Anand kumar by Kuki militants in Moreh and subsequent ambush on a reinforcement team in which three commandos were left injured.
The combined force carried out joint operations at Toulal, Senjang and Laikul Village starting from 3 am. Reports said that the Kuki militants involved in the killing of SDPO Anand have been suspected to be taking shelter in between the three villages. But they had fled towards the Myanmar border after opening fire on seeing the combined forces approaching towards their shelter, added the reports.
The combined forces also retaliated to the gunshots but the Kuki militants took advantage of the wee hours and the jungle and fled towards the border, it said.
It is speculated that some of the Kuki militants were on guard outside the shelter and some of them must have been resting inside on the clothes spread out on the ground.
The operation which concluded at 8.30 am seized arms and seven vehicles. The seized items are one vino mobile phone bearing SIM card regd. No. USIM-89950111172 QMPT_1977288585, One mobile MI phone bearing Airtel SIM Card regd. No 89911609910056127U, one DI TATA, one Yamaha cygnus ray_Z red in colour, one Yamaha cygnus ray_ Z black in colour, one NTRQ race edition black in colour, one Aprilia SR Black in colour, one Bajaj Avenger 160 street Black in colour without registration numbers and one activa blue in colour regd. No MN06SF_7921, two bullet proof vests cover camouflage, two armless shirts, one full T- shirt camouflage, two camouflage pants, one hunting boot, three carry bags, three belts, one handset baofeng BF_ A 58 with two chargers, two kukri knives with cover, one long knife with cover, three pipe guns local made and some gunpowder composite mixer along with a container.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Kuki civilians including women and children gathered near the Assam Rifles camp to seek shelter on Thursday, following the search operations by a combined team of state and central forces in Moreh sub-division.
However, the Assam Rifles refused to give them shelter in the camp.
Mention may be made that out of 44 individuals detained by forces on Wednesday during search operations a total of 32 turned out to be Myanmarese citizens.
