Myanmar deports five Manipuri militants of banned organisation to India, say police
The insurgents, affiliated to the People’s Liberation Army, had been arrested by Myanmar authorities last year when they had gone there for treatment.
The Myanmar government on Thursday handed over five militants of the banned Manipuri insurgent group People’s Liberation Army to the state police on Thursday, Northeast Now reported.
Myanmar authorities had arrested the five militants near Chindwin River Bridge in the country’s northwestern town of Monywa in August 2020 when they were going for medical treatment, PTI reported.
On Thursday, they were brought to the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport at Manipur’s Imphal city on a special Indian Air Force flight, the police said.
The militants have been identified as Salam Somendro, Th Kalasana, Nongmaithem Narendra, Taorem Rohen and Loitongbam Rajkumar.
Somendro is the self-proclaimed captain of the militant outfit, according to PTI. Narendra, who belongs to Manipur’s Tokpaching village is married to a Myanmarese woman in Sagaing.
The Manipur Police will interrogate the militants.
The People’s Liberation Army was involved in the attack on a convoy of Assam Rifles in Manipur’s Churachandpur district near the Indo-Myanmar border in November. Seven personnel, including an Indian Army Colonel, his wife and son, were killed in the attack.
Last year too, Myanmar had handed over 22 militants belonging to six northeastern states to India, NDTV reported.