Security forces struck a blow against insurgency in Manipur on Thursday, arresting four militants from banned outfits across Bishnupur, Imphal East, and Thoubal districts, police confirmed Friday. The swoop targeted members of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) factions, notorious for extortion and unrest in the strife-torn state.

In Bishnupur’s Maibam Chingmang, Leishangthem Hiran Singh (40), a KCP-People’s War Group (PWG) operative, was nabbed for shaking down locals. Imphal East’s Sawombung Pourabi saw Likmabam Amujao Meitei alias Lakpa (27), a KCP-PSC (Politburo Standing Committee) member, hauled in. Meanwhile, in Thoubal’s Langthabal Khunou, two KCP-Taibanganba cadres—Loitongbam Boyai Singh (45) and Khumanthem Dhanabir Singh alias Naobi (28)—were rounded up.

The operations didn’t stop at arrests. In a sweeping haul, forces seized 12 firearms and ammo across Jiribam, Imphal West, and Bishnupur. Imphal West’s Langol Housing Complex yielded two self-loading rifles, two INSAS rifles with 40 cartridges, two SMG carbines, bulletproof gear, and camouflage kit from an abandoned site. Jiribam’s Chingdong Leikai coughed up three INSAS rifles, three magazines, and two SLR rifles with mags. In Bishnupur’s Haotak Awang Leikai, a .303 rifle with 16 cartridges and a 12-bore cartridge were snatched from a hillside stash. A bunker in Kangpokpi’s Ponlen was also razed.

The crackdown underscores Manipur’s ongoing battle with militancy, with the KCP—a splintered Maoist group formed in 1980—long plaguing the region. As security tightens, these arrests and seizures signal a relentless push to choke the insurgents’ grip on the state’s fragile peace.