Imphal, February 18 – The Indian Army conducted a major, month-long area sanitization and de-mining operation along a vulnerable stretch of the India-Myanmar border in Manipur, officials said on Wednesday.
Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that the Red Shield Division of the Indian Army's Spear Corps carried out a major area sanitization and de-mining operation along the India-Myanmar border at Yangoubung, Manipur, between border pillars 72 and 73 from January 16 to February 17, 2023.
He said that the task was undertaken following a request from government agencies to facilitate the resumption of stalled border fencing work, amid intelligence inputs regarding Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance due to the presence of former insurgent camps.
Operating in dense jungle terrain under challenging security conditions, the team cleared and sanitized a corridor measuring 2.6 km × 13 m. During the operation, nine IEDs and two unexploded ordnance were destroyed, thereby removing a serious threat to innocent lives.
The operation also enabled Survey of India teams and construction agencies to proceed with critical border infrastructure work.
Manipur has a 398 km unfenced international border with Myanmar.
On the other hand, acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding illicit narcotics cultivation, Assam Rifles launched a joint anti-narcotics operation along with CRPF and Manipur Police in the Sehjang areas of Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Tuesday.
The operation involved area domination and systematic search of suspected cultivation sites. During the operation, the joint team detected illicit poppy cultivation spread over 22 acres, which was destroyed.
The destroyed cultivation had the potential to yield about 160 kilograms of opium, estimated to be worth multiple crores, thereby dealing a significant blow to drug trafficking networks operating in the region, the defence spokesman said.
Additionally, three makeshift huts found in the vicinity of the cultivation area were demolished.
Assam Rifles remains steadfast in its commitment to curb the menace of narcotics and safeguard the youth and society from the adverse impact of drug abuse, an official statement said.
