Imphal, Sep 25 : Security forces have arrested three militants belonging to two different outlawed outfits and an arms dealer in Manipur, during the past 24 hours.

A senior police official said the three militants, arrested from Imphal West and Bishnupur districts, belong to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) outfits, both of which are banned groups.

According to the official, the arrested PREPAK militant, identified as Naorem Abinash Singh (19), had extorted Rs 5,000 from a person in the Kakching area. From his possession, a mobile phone, a sling bag and a wallet were seized.

After the arrest of the two PLA militants, local people blocked a road in the Tronglaoba area on Wednesday evening, demanding the release of the cadres.

Security Forces also arrested a 48-year-old arms smuggler, identified as Kangjam Rakesh Singh from Imphal West district. From his possession, one 9mm pistol loaded with one live round in the magazine and a mobile phone were recovered.

In a separate operation, security forces recovered huge components for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the Kaibung area in Kakching district. One container weighing 1.7 kg, three kg of sand, explosive TNT weighing 470 grams, 12 screws, one electric detonator, electric wire, and other items were recovered, the police said.

Meanwhile, senior police, Assam Rifles and intelligence officials are continuing to interrogate the arrested prime accused of the September 19 ambush, in which two Assam Rifles personnel were killed and five others injured by an armed group in Manipur's Bishnupur district.

The main accused of the September 19 ambush, Khomdram Ojit Singh alias Keilal, 47, was arrested on Wednesday from the Kameng area in Imphal West district.

He is associated with the extremist outfit PLA. Raids are being carried out in different places of Imphal valley to apprehend other culprits and associates of Khomdram Ojit Singh who are involved in last week's ambush, the official said.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Amit Shukla earlier said that an Assam Rifles team was returning from flood relief operations in the Imphal Valley when their convoy was ambushed by an unidentified insurgent group along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway-2 in Bishnupur district on September 19.

Assam Rifles' Naib-Subedar Shyam Gurung, 59, and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap, 36, were killed in the ambush. Gurung hailed from Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, while Kashyap was a resident of Chhattisgarh's Bastar district.

/IANS