<p>Guwahati: Three juvenile cadres of Kuki insurgent group, United Kuki National Army (UKNA), were detained while another was arrested in conflict-torn Manipur's Churachandpur district with weapons, the state police said on Tuesday.</p><p>Police said the four including the three juveniles were detained at Bethel Centre of Churachandpur town as they were allegedly involved in extortion, drugs business and smuggling an sale of weapons. Churachandpur is a Kuki-dominated district. </p><p>Police said the arrested militant was identified as Janggoulun Haokip alias Marco, aged 19 years. Police did not disclose the names of the remaining three as they are juveniles. </p>.Five militants held in separate ops in Manipur. <p>Police said two pistols were recovered from them. They were detained during an operations against armed groups, both in the hills and the Valley. UKNA is an armed group, having it's bases both in India and Myanmar. The group is not yet in ceasefire in India. </p>. <p>Child soldiers:</p><p>The three were detained days after Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) raised an alarm over recruitment of children (below 18 years) by armed groups, both in the hills and the Valley. MCPCR chairperson, Keisham Pradip Kumar earlier told DH that the number of recruitment of child soldiers increased since the Meitei-Kuki conflict began in May 2023. He said what was more worrying is the recruitment of children at the community levels in order to "defend" their villages and the communities, be it Meiteis, Kukis or Nagas. </p><p>Pradip Kumar said the large number of displaced children living in relief camps across Manipur were vulnerable for such recruitments as the conflict was still on and there was no solution in sight. </p>
<p>Guwahati: Three juvenile cadres of Kuki insurgent group, United Kuki National Army (UKNA), were detained while another was arrested in conflict-torn Manipur's Churachandpur district with weapons, the state police said on Tuesday.</p><p>Police said the four including the three juveniles were detained at Bethel Centre of Churachandpur town as they were allegedly involved in extortion, drugs business and smuggling an sale of weapons. Churachandpur is a Kuki-dominated district. </p><p>Police said the arrested militant was identified as Janggoulun Haokip alias Marco, aged 19 years. Police did not disclose the names of the remaining three as they are juveniles. </p>.Five militants held in separate ops in Manipur. <p>Police said two pistols were recovered from them. They were detained during an operations against armed groups, both in the hills and the Valley. UKNA is an armed group, having it's bases both in India and Myanmar. The group is not yet in ceasefire in India. </p>. <p>Child soldiers:</p><p>The three were detained days after Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) raised an alarm over recruitment of children (below 18 years) by armed groups, both in the hills and the Valley. MCPCR chairperson, Keisham Pradip Kumar earlier told DH that the number of recruitment of child soldiers increased since the Meitei-Kuki conflict began in May 2023. He said what was more worrying is the recruitment of children at the community levels in order to "defend" their villages and the communities, be it Meiteis, Kukis or Nagas. </p><p>Pradip Kumar said the large number of displaced children living in relief camps across Manipur were vulnerable for such recruitments as the conflict was still on and there was no solution in sight. </p>