IMPHAL, Dec 5: The bodies of 13 suspected cadres of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who were killed during an ambush near the Indo-Myanmar border were brought to Imphal for postmortem and legal procedures, officials said on Tuesday.
The cadres, including two teenagers, are believed to be part of a group attempting to cross into Myanmar for arms training at a camp run by the PLA, they said.
The PLA is an insurgent group primarily composed of members from the Meitei community in the valley region. The Centre’s ban on this organisation under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was extended by five years recently.
Among those killed on Monday, the eldest was 47 years old and the youngest was 17, the officials said.
Authorities are currently searching for other members of the group who may have managed to escape during the gunfight that took place in the hills of Leithu village, approximately 15 km from the Myanmar border.
The bodies have been taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences here for postmortem and legal procedures, the officials said.
Security has been tightened in and around the institute.
Monday’s incident took place in an area unaffected by the ethnic conflict in Manipur. The village is situated in Tengnoupal district, which shares a porous border with Myanmar and is often used by insurgent groups as a crossing point. (PTI)
