Manipur: Assam Rifles, police arrest UNKA cadre with arms, ammunition

Imphal: Assam Rifles and the Manipur police arrested an active cadre of the proscribed United National Kuki Army (UNKA), along with arms and ammunition, in a joint operation in Manipur's Churachandpur district, bordering Myanmar, on Friday, officials reported on Saturday.

Acting on specific intelligence that UNKA leaders were campaigning to extort money from villagers and recruit youngsters into their fold, the joint law enforcement teams were on high alert at a vulnerable location along the border.

During the operation, an active cadre of the UNKA, later identified as Haominthang Haokip (20), a native of Old Gelmoul under Churachandpur police station, was captured at his residence.

A pistol with two live rounds, an Aadhaar card, and a mobile phone were seized from him, the report stated, adding that he was involved in extortion and collection of funds from the town area of Churachandpur.

The UNKA, which is not a party to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, is demanding a separate nation carved out of India and Myanmar.

Under the SoO, the Ministry of Home Affairs signed a peace pact with 25 Kuki underground groups operating along the Manipur-Myanmar border.