Over 300 rifles among arms, ammunition recovered by security forces in Manipur

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including over 300 rifles, were recovered from the five Imphal valley districts of Manipur, an official said on Saturday.

The arms seizure was made by joint teams of the Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and the Army in a well-coordinated intelligence-based operation on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, he said.

Among the items seized were 151 SLR rifles, 65 INSAS rifles, 73 other rifles, five carbine guns, two MP5 guns, 12 light machine guns, six AK series rifles, two Amogh rifles, one mortar, six pistols, one AR-15 and two flare guns, he added.

On receipt of specific intelligence that a large cache of arms and ammunition was stashed in different areas of the valley districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching and Thoubal, simultaneous search operations were launched, leading to the major recovery, the official said.

He said the operation marks a significant achievement for the security forces in their continued efforts to restore normalcy, maintain public order, and ensure the safety and security of people and their property in the strife-torn state.

Besides a total of 328 rifles and guns, the security forces recovered 591 assorted magazines, 3,534 SLR rounds, 2,186 INSAS rounds, 2,252 rounds of .303 rifles, 234 AK rounds, 407 Amogh rounds, 20 9-mm pistol rounds, 10 grenades, three lathodes and seven detonators, he said.

Reiterating their commitment to ensuring a peaceful and secure Manipur, police urged the people to cooperate with the security forces and report any suspicious activities or information related to illegal weapons to the nearest police station or the Central Control Room.

Senior police officers are in close coordination with all security stakeholders to ensure that such operations continue in a sustained and focused manner, the official said.