The killing of BSF Constable Mithun Mandal has ignited a relentless security dragnet in Manipur, where joint teams demolished 21 insurgent bunkers on Sunday, marking the third day of non-stop searches in Ukhrul district.
Friday’s deadly ambush during a routine road-opening duty in the strife-torn hills left Mandal fatally wounded. His body was transported Saturday to his ancestral home in Malda, West Bengal, after tributes from comrades. Now, central and state forces are leaving no stone unturned to hunt the perpetrators.
A senior police officer revealed details of the bunker-busting raids: 14 structures in Sikibung village and seven in Mongkot Chepu, both under Litan police station in Ukhrul. Built illegally by rebel groups for ambushes, these sites posed grave risks to troops and locals.
Parallel actions in Myanmar-bordering Tengnoupal uncovered a cache of arms: two 9mm pistols, 13 IEDs, combat gear, and a backpack from trijunction hotspots. Expert disposal teams defused the explosives, averting disaster.
Drug traffickers felt the heat too, with two arrests in Churachandpur yielding 45 soap-case packets of brown sugar, a vehicle, phones, and bags. This reflects broader efforts to dismantle terror-financing networks.
Manipur’s security grid is robust: 109 checkpoints monitor movements, convoys get armed escorts on key highways like NH-37, and domination patrols sweep vulnerable areas. The state is clamping down on militancy’s tentacles.
Police issued a stark public advisory against fake news proliferation on social platforms. ‘Cross-check videos and audio with control rooms—legal repercussions await rumor-mongers.’ In this high-stakes battle, vigilance from all quarters is crucial for peace.
