In a significant development that could have repercussion on the ongoing Indo-Naga peace negotiation, a unit of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army busted a mobile camp of NSCN IM suspected to be responsible for subversive activities, including extortion from ferried trucks and others in the general area of Nungba in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, en-route to Manipur-Assam via Silchar national highway No. 37.

The well-coordinated counter insurgency operation was carried out based on specific intel regarding presence of NSCN IM cadres who are responsible for conducting illegal extortions along the important national highway between Manipur to Assam via Silchar, camping at Kekru village under the Nungba sub-division in Tamenglong district.

With the insurgents fleeing on seeing the approaching troops, the Army recovered huge cache of arms, ammunition, uniforms and other war-like stores, including one M16 with 125 rounds of ammunitions, one SLR, 26 rounds of AK assault rifle bullets from  the mobile camp, busted without firing even a single bullet.

In a tweet, the Eastern Command wrote,“In a major blow to the insurgent groups, Indian Army troops busted a NSCN IM hideout at Kekru Naga village in Manipur on July 5, resulting in the recovery of large quantity of army and ammunitions.”

Mention may be made that NSCN IM in response to adverse public reaction, emitting from the Manipur valley districts, sometime back, regarding the need to rid the presence of the ‘unauthorized’ NSCN IM camps in Manipur, arguing that the ceasefire agreement signed between government of India and NSCN IM does not extend to Manipur, had strongly stated that the ceasefire is operative wherever its presence is, confirming its camps in Manipur and that it is in no mood to vacate them. Further, it had warned the Indian security forces of trying to sabotage the Indo-Naga peace negotiation that would be 22 years old this August.

Indian defence ministry press release said that the security forces are working in close synergy with the local police, intelligence agencies, civil administration and local people to identify such authorized hideouts. The release further said that immediate action will be taken up to identify and dismantle such undesignated NSCN IM camps in Manipur. Besides the cache of arms and ammunitions, an active NSCN IM cade who was trying flee from the scene by merging into the crowd sans his battle-fatigue uniform had been arrested, said the Eastern Command release.