Manipur insurgency highly complex: Army

Imphal, Sep 19 (UNI) Insurgency in Manipur is more complex, than in Jammu and Kashmir, GOC of 57 Mountain Division Major General E J Kochekkan said here today.

''Unlike in Jammu and Kashmir where most ultras were from foreign territory, insurgents in Manipur are from its own, territory making it tougher to deal with them,'' Maj Gen Kochekkan said while talking to reporters.

He said anti-insurgency operations in Manipur were carried out under the supervision of the combined operation group headed by the Chief Minister.

''An entire division of army was pushed into the state in 2004 to flush out militants,'' he said.

So far the army had been able to clear large areas of so called 'liberated zones' from the rebels, he added.

Only a small portion of land remains with them in the Indo-Myanmar border areas where the insurgents had their camps, he explained.

To a question he said there was no proposal to launch joint operations with Myanmar despite good political relations with the country.

In the border areas Myanmar and Indian citizens were allowed to enter each others' territory hence the militants take advantage of the situation, he said.

He also said the army had undertaken several developmental projects in Manipur to have good relations with the people.

The army had adopted an entire village at Churachandpur district and spent Rs 2.78 crore for its development along with a Rs 1.73 crore sports complex at Moirang in Bishenpur district and a Rs 1.02 crore youth centre in Senapati district.

UNI NS PP PL SK RK1700