IMPHAL, March 7: A PIB (Defence Wing) press release has said that a specific intelligence based operations was planned by 27 Sector proactively operating under Red Shield Division to Behang.
“The sector tasted yet another success by nabbing 100 kg of explosives (ammonium nitrate) which otherwise would have killed hundreds of innocent Manipuris and Indians in various areas of India where this dangerous consignment was intended to be transported”, it said.
It continued that on the intervening night of March 5 and 6, a civil Tata truck bearing registration number MN02A 6204 coming from Aizawl was speeding towards Thinghat when it stopped just 500 meter short of a mobile vehicle check point established by troops of 38 Assam Rifles.
A person alighted from the vehicle and camp ahead to reconnoiter the check post, it said.
When challenged by the sentry of the check post, he started running towards the vehicle. In the meantime, the driver of the suspected vehicle tried to reverse and get away in the melee. Asst Commandant Irom Singh, the Commander on the spot effectively blocked the exit of the escaping vehicle by putting his vehicle in the front, it said.
The civil vehicle was searched and 100 kg of explosive (ammonium nitrate), three pistols with live ammunition, 1290 detonators, 200 m of safely fuse opium and a photo of the driver with AK 47 were recovered from the vehicle, it said.
“The suspected militants have been identified as H Vantal Biak, son of Nemboi Hianglom, resident of Churachandpdur, Thangzalunmang, resident of Champhai (Mizoram). Preliminary investigation has revealed that this dangerous consignment started from Aizawl and was heading for Thinghat where it was to be handed over to some valley based insurgents groups. Normally, one kg of ammonium nitrate is used to carry out one effective blast to cause fatal casualties to approx 20 persons. Going by this figure, this important recovery of 100 kg of explosives has saved thousands of lives of innocent Manipuris of even Indians”, the PIB release said.