Imphal: Manipur police Friday arrested five persons who were allegedly involved in an attack on ITBP personnel on February 20 last.
Two ITBP personnel, who were on election duty, sustained injuries in a bomb blast in Manipur’s Kakching district. The blast rocked Wangoo Tera area, around 60 km from State capital Imphal, around 8 pm on February 20, they said.
The arrested persons have been identified as Okram Manitomba alias Ango Meitei (20), son of O. Kanhai Meitei of Wangoo Mamang Sabal Nurathel Leikai; Soroikhambam Goroba Singh alias Ngangba (19), son of S. Pashuram Singh of Pangantabi Makha Leikai; Soroikhambam Arbin Singh (26 years), son of S. Naba Singh of Wangoo Mamang Sabal; Thongam Singhajit Meitei (20), son of Th. Biren Meitei of Wangoo Mamang Sabal; Irengbam Gitchandra (53), son of I. Jiban Singh of Wangoo Mamang Sabal.
Police claimed that the accused were in touch with PREPAK cadres from Myanmar and executed the explosions of February 20 at Wangoo Tera in which personnel of ITBP were injured, on their directives.
Teams of Kakching police had undertaken several efforts to detect the conspiracy and the culprits behind the crime. An operation was conducted at Wangoo Nurathel Area in which five persons were arrested.
The accused persons were also involved in three IED explosions, viz IED attack on ITBP personnel, IED blast on January 26 at Kakching Khunou Lamkhai near Uyok Bridge as well as one IED blast in Wangoo Lamkhai area on January 26.
Two of the accused who were involved in the attacks had gone to Moreh/Tamu in the beginning of January and received one day training in handling of IED from PREPAK cadres.
Three detonators and three batteries were recovered from them. The accused persons revealed that there was a plan to plant another IED in March but location was not disclosed to them, police said.Â