Manipur: 328 Guns and Rifles Recovered in Massive Arms Haul
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: In a massive haul of arms, the Manipur police and security forces recovered 328 guns, including sophisticated rifles, on the intervening night of June 13 and 14 in the five districts of the Imphal valley.
This included 151 SLR rifles, 65 INSAS rifles, 73 unspecified rifle types, five carbine guns, two MP5 guns, 12 light machine gun rifles, six AK series rifles, two Amogh rifles, one mortar, six pistols, two barrels, an AR15 gun and two flare guns as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The police acted on intelligence inputs about the presence of a large cache of arms and ammunition hidden in different areas of the Imphal valley districts, it said in a statement.
“These intelligence-based operations mark a major achievement for the Manipur police and the security forces in their continued efforts to restore normalcy, maintain public order and ensure the safety and security of citizens and their property,” the Manipur police said.
The weapons were recovered after simultaneous search operations were conducted at different locations by joint teams of the Manipur police, the Central Armed Police Forces, the army and the paramilitary Assam Rifles.
The state's five valley districts are Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching. The Imphal valley is predominantly Meitei.
A police official said that the recoveries include looted police weapons, The Hindu has reported.
Since ethnic violence first broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, about 6,000 weapons and lakhs of rounds of ammunition were looted from police armouries.
Since May 2023, more than 250 people have been killed and over 60,000 have been displaced. The state remains deeply divided, with physical and social barriers separating communities – members of the Kuki-Zo community are unable to enter the capital, Imphal, while Meiteis cannot travel to the hill districts.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
