In the continuing offensives against the armed tribal insurgents, the personnel of 10 Assam Rifles on Friday night smashed a camp in Tamenglong district of Manipur and recovered various items including foreign-made hand grenades.
Press Information Bureau (Defence wing) in a statement said that the troops raided the camp acting on a tip off about the presence of the insurgents of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang). Though the NSCN(K) had signed a ceasefire with the union government, it is not extended to Manipur. There had been raids on such camps and arrests of the cadres.
When the NSCN(K) cadres sighted the approaching troops they had opened fire. The troops also retaliated. There was a heavy exchange of fire for nearly 40 minutes. However there was no casualty on both sides. As the Assam Rifles troops got upperhand the NSCN(K) insurgents fled through the mountains of the district.
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After overrunning the camp the troops found many items including, 18 Chinese-made hand grenades and 200 rounds of ammunition of automatic rifles. However, insurgents are believed to have fled away with sophisticated weapons. Sources said that searches are on for such camps in Tamenglong and other districts in Manipur.