Manipur security forces foil recruitment bid by banned PREPAK, arrest two women leaders
Security forces arrested two women leaders of PREPAK from Khangabok village in Thoubal district in Manipur valley region on Tuesday night, a police official said.
The arrested leaders of the PREPAK team were identified as Khundrakpam Ningthoujam Roshidiya and Lisham Bidya.
The arrest of the duo follows investigation into the abduction of three children from Kakching Khunou Ngaikhong Leikai areas under Kakching district on January 4. The children, who were kidnapped to serve as soldiers in the PREPAK group, were later rescued from Uchiwa Awang Leikai areas of Imphal West district and handed over to their respective parents.
PREPAK reportedly received weapons and training in exchange for cash Kachin Independent Army (KIA) of Myanmar. There were reports that the outfit was running training camps in Bangladesh.
At least 260 people have died and more than a thousand people have been injured in the ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo tribe and the non-tribal Meitei people since May 3, 2023.
The violence between non-tribal Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo broke out following a tribal solidarity march held in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
