In a significant achievement, security forces in Manipur conducted successful joint operations that led to the recovery of 328 arms and approximately 9,300 rounds of various types of ammunition. The operations, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, targeted multiple locations across five districts in the Imphal valley, based on specific intelligence reports indicating the presence of a large cache of weapons and arms.
A senior police official revealed that special teams from the Manipur Police, Army, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) coordinated to conduct simultaneous searches. These efforts resulted in the recovery of a substantial arsenal, including 151 Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), 73 rifles, 65 INSAS rifles, 12 Light Machine Guns (LMGs), six AK series rifles, five carbines, and six pistols, among other weapons.
In addition to the arms, authorities seized about 9,300 rounds of different kinds of ammunition and war-like stores from the outskirts of five districts: Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching.
A Manipur Police statement described the operation as a landmark success in their ongoing efforts to restore normalcy, enforce public order, and ensure the safety of citizens and their property. The police renewed their appeal to the public to cooperate by reporting any suspicious activities or illegal weapons.
Senior police officials are maintaining close coordination with all security agencies to ensure continuous, focused operations aimed at stabilizing the region. The recent recoveries mark the first major success for security forces following the ethnic violence that erupted in the state on May 3, 2023.
Prior reports indicated that during the riots, mobs, militants, and attackers looted over 6,020 varied types of sophisticated arms and large quantities of ammunition from police stations and outposts. Since February 20, when Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla issued an appeal, around 1,000 looted and illegally-held weapons, including many sophisticated arms, along with a large cache of ammunition, have been recovered and returned to security forces.