Arms, highly-explosive mortar bomb recover, 2 soldiers hurt in encounter in Manipur

way2barak, June 22 : Two soldiers sustained minor injuries during an encounter with armed miscreants while the security forces recovered a highly-explosive mortar bomb and an INSAS Light Machine Gun in Manipur on Thursday, defence sources said.

A defence spokesman said that armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing at Boljang in Imphal West district forcing the soldiers a calibrated response to avoid any collateral damage.

Two soldiers sustained minor injuries but they are stable now.

Additional columns of the Army inducted and operations are in progress.

An INSAS Light Machine Gun was recovered during the initial search, the defence PRO said.

In another combing operation, Assam Rifles troopers recovered a highly-explosive mortar bomb in Manipur’s Imphal East district on Thursday.

The operation was jointly conducted by the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police Commando in the Mongjam foothills.

Following the recovery of the 01 X 51 mm mortar bomb, a search operation is underway in the area for other arms and ammunition, according to a defence spokesperson.

Although there has been no major incident of violence in Manipur in the past few days, three people were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) placed in a vehicle exploded at Kwakta, Bishnupur district on Wednesday night.

The injured were shifted to Bishnupur district hospital and one of them is stated to be critical.

Also on Wednesday, security forces dismantled a bunker reportedly used by militants in the Leimakhong area of Imphal West district.

Intermittent firings between rival militant outfits were also reported from two places in Imphal East and Imphal West districts.

However, there was no report of death or injury in these firing incidents.

Meanwhile, the Army, Assam Rifles and various other central and state security forces have been continuing combing operations in different parts of the state.

Search operations were also conducted to recover the arms and ammunition from miscreants and arrest those involved in violence.