Imphal, Mar 09, 2025, IANS

Imphal, March 9 (IANS) The Army and other Central and state forces, in a series of joint operations in six districts, comprising mountainous areas and valleys, recovered 25 weapons, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), several grenades, a large cache of ammunition and other war-like stores, official said on Sunday. Defence spokesman Lt. Col Amit Shukla said security forces also destroyed several illegal bunkers in the Kangpokpi district. He said that 25 arms, a few IEDs, several grenades, a large cache of ammunition and other war-like stores were recovered from the six districts -- Jiribam, Tengnoupal, Kakching, Ukhrul, Imphal East and Imphal West on Saturday. The Army, in coordination with Assam Rifles, Manipur Police, CRPF, BSF and ITBP, have stepped up their operations across the state after the expiry of the 15-day deadline to surrender looted and illegally-held arms and ammunition on March 6. The recovered arms include INSAS rifles, Carbines, Single Barrel guns, Single Barrel Bolt rifles, pump action shotguns, one double barrel rifle, pistols, mortars, IEDs, grenades and war-like stores. These coordinated efforts by security forces highlight their unwavering commitment to maintaining peace and security in Manipur, Lt. Col Shukla said. He said the Army and other Central and state forces would continue their operations to recover the remaining looted and illegally held arms and ammunition. A senior police official said that responding to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s appeal till March 6 over 1,020 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. The security forces also arrested two militants from the Kakching and Imphal West districts and recovered some arms and ammunition from them. Security forces also apprehended one Farida Begum (37) from Phougakchao Awang Leikai near Ibudhou Thangjing Temple along National Highway-2. From her possession, 127 grams of heroin powder were recovered, and the drugs were kept in 10 soap cases.