IMPHAL, July 13 - In a well-coordinated �Operation Thangjing� in Manipur�s Churachandpur district, Indian army rescued an abducted village chief and made a massive haul of assault rifles and other war-like stores.
Brigadier HR Desai of 57 Mountain Division told reporters here on Saturday that troops of 25 Assam Rifles and Churachandpur district police launched the operation immediately after hearing the news that some unknown insurgents have abducted Lunkholal Lunghdim (41), chief of Dampi village on July 5 and taken the diabetic patient to Thangjing hills.
Within a few hours, one column of army along with tracker dog was pressed into action, Brigadier Desai said and added that the insurgents realising that troops were closing in, quickly abandoned their SUVs and fled into the jungles on motorcycles forcibly taken from nearby houses.
On July 6, around 2.30 pm, the abductors released the village chief who quickly moved towards the army deployed in the operations and was evacuated to Churachandpur while the troops carried out search of the area.
Brigadier Desai, Commander of 27 Sector Assam Rifles, also informed that the coordinated operations continued over the next three days despite inclement weather.
Narrating that the insurgents in desperation abandoned their weapons including five assault rifles and other warlike stores which were recovered on the night of July 9, the army officer said, �We continued with search operation for another 48 hours which led to the apprehension of one cadre of KNF (MC), an armed group and recovered a second lot of arms and ammunition which included two assault rifles, two 12 bore guns, besides four radio sets.�
