Imphal, Mar 08, 2025, IANS

Imphal, March 8 (IANS) The security forces after the expiry of the 15-day deadline to surrender looted and illegally-held arms and ammunition, further stepped up their search operations in 10 of the 16 Manipur districts and recovered 114 weapons, IEDs, grenades, various ammunition and other war-like stores, officials said here on Saturday. A Defence spokesman said that in a series of joint operations during the past 24 hours, Army, Assam Rifles, various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Manipur Police recovered 114 weapons, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), grenades, various ammunition and other war-like stores. The joint operations were conducted in the hill and valley districts -- Bishnupur, Senapati, Thoubal, Jiribam, Chandel, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Imphal East, Imphal West and Kakching. The security forces also destroyed several bunkers in Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts. In Nepali Basti of Bishnupur district, an operation by the Indian Army and Manipur Police resulted in recovery of seven weapons consisting of two Carbines, two Pistols, two Rifles and one improvised mortar, ammunition and other war-like stores. Similarly, in Chandel district, a search operation resulted in recovery of 55 weapons comprising nine 12-bore Single Barrel Rifles, twelve Muzzle Loaded Rifles, one 12mm Single Bore Shotgun, one Single Barrel rifle, 32 Improvised Mortars of various calibres, four IEDs, grenades, ammunition and other war-like stores. In Senapati district, on receipt of information about the presence of arms and ammunition, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with Manipur Police launched a joint operation in general area Taphou Kuki and recovered four weapons comprising two bolt-action single-barrel guns, one double-barrel gun and one 12 Bore Single Barrel Rifle. As many as 15 weapons were recovered by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police from Gothol areas in Churachandpur district. In the mixed populated Jiribam district, a joint operation of Assam Rifles and Manipur police in Ankhasu village resulted in recovery of nine improvised mortars (Pompi). In Imphal East district, in the areas of Pourabi, Sawombung and Kalika, Indian Army and Manipur Police launched operations and recovered six weapons. Manipur Police also arrested two cadres of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) militant outfit and recovered some arms and ammunition from them. The Defence spokesman said that the joint operations to recover the remaining looted arms and ammunition would continue in both valley and hilly districts. Police officials said that responding to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s appeal till March 6 around 1,023 arms and a huge cache of ammunition have been surrendered by various organisations and individuals in five valley districts, five hill districts and mixed populated Jiribam districts since the Governor made the appeal for the first time on February 20. According to various reports during the ethnic riots between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3, 2023, more than 6,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of pieces of different types of ammunition were looted from the police stations and outposts by the mobs and militants of both communities.