Imphal : Assam Rifles has successfully rescued five misguided youths including a teenager near the Indo-Myanmar Border in the Manipur sector and facilitated their return to the mainstream in the presence of senior dignitaries and officials in Imphal on Saturday (June  8).

In an event conducted at Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (South) in Mantripukhri, about 7 km from Imphal, these five individuals were reunited with their families. They were handed over to their mothers signifying a stride towards rehabilitation and reintegration into society. 

The five youths were misguided and recruited to join the proscribed outfits People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Progressive (PREPAK-PRO).  M Malemnganba, 27, from Bishnupur district, Amarjit Khundrakpa, 24, Imphal West district, and Laishram Rohit Meitei, 17, Imphal East district were extricated from the PLA. 

Aakoijam Wilson, 21, and A. Victor, 24, both from the Imphal East district belonged to the PREPAK-PRO. Upon reaching the camps, the youth were made to live in deplorable living conditions and assigned menial tasks.

Moreover, the ongoing conflict between the Myanmar Army and rebel forces heightened the peril they faced prompting them to run away from the camps in search of safety. Assam Rifles demonstrated steadfast commitment by facilitating their extrication from danger.

The operation carried out in the Tengnoupal district of Manipur bordering Myanmar on the south underscores the pledge of Assam Rifles to uphold peace and security in the state. Lieutenant Colonel, Staff Officer (Public Relations & Media), expressed the Assam Rifles’ steadfast resolve to ensure the safety and well-being of the people in Manipur and the entire North Eastern Region.