<p>The Army on Sunday said they had to "hand over" 12 cadres of KYKL, a banned insurgent group in Manipur, after a mob of 1,200 to 1,500 people led by women surrounded and stopped them from going ahead with an operation in Imphal East district on Saturday.</p>.<p>A statement issued by the Army on Sunday said that 12 insurgents included the self-styled Lt. Col. Moirangthem Tamba alias Uttam, who, the Army said was the "mastermind" of the ambush carried out on 6 Dogra regiment in 2015. </p>.<p>The members of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), a Valley based insurgent group, which is still out of the peace process, were apprehended based on intelligence inputs about presence of "armed miscreants" at Itham village. "But a mob of 1,200 to 1,500 people led by women and the local leaders immediately surrounded the area and prevented the security forces from going ahead with the operation. Repeated appeals to the aggressive mob to let the security forces carry on with operation as per law did not yield any positive result," the statement said. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/playing-with-fire-in-the-northeast-1230861.html" target="_blank">Playing with fire in the Northeast</a></strong></p>.<p>The standoff continued for hours till "a considered decision" was taken to hand over the insurgents to village elders and the Army decided to pull out of the area with the seized weapons. "Keeping in view the sensitivity of use of kinetic force against large irate mobs led by women and likely casualties due to such action, a considered decision was taken to hand over all 12 cadres to local leaders. Own columns lifted the cordon and left the area with weapons recovered from insurgents," said the statement. </p>.<p>"Indian Army appeals to the people of Manipur to assist the security forces in maintaining law and order to bring peace and stability," said the statement.</p>.<p>The Army, which was called in on May 3 after the violence broke out, said they faced similar obstructions by women-led mobs in carrying out operations or in the movement of troops to the troubled areas and transportation of rations as well. The Spear Corps of the Army on June 23 said a large group of women who were part of a mob also stopped the movement of additional security personnel in an area bordering Kangpokpi and Imphal East district, where "armed miscreants" opened fire in two villages. Such women had even blocked roads to prevent movement of troops to violence-hit areas earlier. </p>.<p>Over 115 people have been killed and over 60,000 others have been displaced since the clashes between sections of the Meitei and the Kuki communities started on May 3 and subsequently flared up. The violence started after a "solidarity march" was organised by a tribal body opposing the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meiteis. </p>.<p>A combing operation was launched by the security forces including the Army as sporadic incidents of violence continued despite appeals by the Centre as well as Manipur government for peace.</p>.<p><strong>Post-AFSPA operations</strong></p>.<p>Since 1980, the Army has operated in Manipur under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which gave unbridled powers to the security forces during counter-insurgency operations. The AFSPA, however, was withdrawn last year from some areas in Manipur including in Imphal East district. After 43 years, army operations in Manipur are being conducted in the presence of executive magistrates following partial withdrawal of the AFSPA. The Army statement on Sunday, however, did not say whether an executive magistrate was present during the operation at the Itham village. </p>.<p><b>Ban on Internet</b></p>.<p>Meanwhile, the BJP government in Manipur on Sunday further extended the ban on mobile and broadband internet by another five days, till June 30 citing that incidents of violence continued in parts of the state. The ban was imposed on May 3.</p>
<p>The Army on Sunday said they had to "hand over" 12 cadres of KYKL, a banned insurgent group in Manipur, after a mob of 1,200 to 1,500 people led by women surrounded and stopped them from going ahead with an operation in Imphal East district on Saturday.</p>.<p>A statement issued by the Army on Sunday said that 12 insurgents included the self-styled Lt. Col. Moirangthem Tamba alias Uttam, who, the Army said was the "mastermind" of the ambush carried out on 6 Dogra regiment in 2015. </p>.<p>The members of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), a Valley based insurgent group, which is still out of the peace process, were apprehended based on intelligence inputs about presence of "armed miscreants" at Itham village. "But a mob of 1,200 to 1,500 people led by women and the local leaders immediately surrounded the area and prevented the security forces from going ahead with the operation. Repeated appeals to the aggressive mob to let the security forces carry on with operation as per law did not yield any positive result," the statement said. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/playing-with-fire-in-the-northeast-1230861.html" target="_blank">Playing with fire in the Northeast</a></strong></p>.<p>The standoff continued for hours till "a considered decision" was taken to hand over the insurgents to village elders and the Army decided to pull out of the area with the seized weapons. "Keeping in view the sensitivity of use of kinetic force against large irate mobs led by women and likely casualties due to such action, a considered decision was taken to hand over all 12 cadres to local leaders. Own columns lifted the cordon and left the area with weapons recovered from insurgents," said the statement. </p>.<p>"Indian Army appeals to the people of Manipur to assist the security forces in maintaining law and order to bring peace and stability," said the statement.</p>.<p>The Army, which was called in on May 3 after the violence broke out, said they faced similar obstructions by women-led mobs in carrying out operations or in the movement of troops to the troubled areas and transportation of rations as well. The Spear Corps of the Army on June 23 said a large group of women who were part of a mob also stopped the movement of additional security personnel in an area bordering Kangpokpi and Imphal East district, where "armed miscreants" opened fire in two villages. Such women had even blocked roads to prevent movement of troops to violence-hit areas earlier. </p>.<p>Over 115 people have been killed and over 60,000 others have been displaced since the clashes between sections of the Meitei and the Kuki communities started on May 3 and subsequently flared up. The violence started after a "solidarity march" was organised by a tribal body opposing the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meiteis. </p>.<p>A combing operation was launched by the security forces including the Army as sporadic incidents of violence continued despite appeals by the Centre as well as Manipur government for peace.</p>.<p><strong>Post-AFSPA operations</strong></p>.<p>Since 1980, the Army has operated in Manipur under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which gave unbridled powers to the security forces during counter-insurgency operations. The AFSPA, however, was withdrawn last year from some areas in Manipur including in Imphal East district. After 43 years, army operations in Manipur are being conducted in the presence of executive magistrates following partial withdrawal of the AFSPA. The Army statement on Sunday, however, did not say whether an executive magistrate was present during the operation at the Itham village. </p>.<p><b>Ban on Internet</b></p>.<p>Meanwhile, the BJP government in Manipur on Sunday further extended the ban on mobile and broadband internet by another five days, till June 30 citing that incidents of violence continued in parts of the state. The ban was imposed on May 3.</p>