Imphal, Feb. 9: The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a militant outfit of Manipur, today announced that it has pulled back its activists following the army?s Operation Dragnet, but claimed the security forces had not been able to defeat its cadre.

The insurgents belong to the Manipur People?s Army (MPA), the military wing of the UNLF. They were pulled back from Thanlon and Parbung of Churachandpur district and Bekra region of Tamenglong district following the army offensive.

General officer commanding (GOC) 3 Corps Lt Gen. Z.U. Shah and GOC 57 Mountain Division Maj. Gen. G.G. Dwivedi have announced that major rebel camps were eliminated in south Manipur after Operation Dragnet was completed in the Thanlon and Parbung subdivisions of Churachandpur district.

Reacting to the announcements, the ?military affairs committee? of the UNLF said the MPA was ready to face any challenge from the army.

The statement was issued on the occasion of the MPA?s 19th raising day today.

The communiqu? pointed out that even though about 50,000 troops were deployed in Manipur, the security forces were not able to defeat the armed groups. In comparison with the small number of armed insurgents, the troop strength of 50,000 was a massive deployment of forces, it said.

Terming the army claim of overrunning all rebel camps in south Manipur an ?illusion?, the UNLF said the security forces retreated on many occasions after suffering heavy casualties on launching their operation at Sajik Tampak in Chandel district in 2004.

The outfit admitted that six of its activists had lost their lives and two others had been injured during Operation Dragnet. It also claimed that the MPA inflicted heavy casualties on the army.

?The MPA cadre were pulled out of Thanlon, Parbung and Bekra region for tactical reasons. For the MPA, Manipur is a battlefield and we are ready to fight the army,? it said.

It claimed that the army could enter Thanlon and Parbung only because the soldiers were led by Hmar People?s Conference (Democratic) rebels. The HPC (D) was trying to drive a wedge between the UNLF and the tribal villagers.

It also said allegations that UNLF activists raped local women and harassed villagers were false propaganda aimed at whipping up communal tension. It reiterated its proposal for holding a plebiscite under the supervision of the United Nations.