Manipur: Forces recover huge arms cache from Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Churachandpur

Officials described the recovery as a major success in the ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in Manipur.

A joint team of security forces, including Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, the Indian Army, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), recovered a massive cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives during extensive search operations across the hill districts of Manipur.

Security forces in Manipur pose with the arms cache after its recovery.

According to a statement issued from Manipur police control room on Friday, the operations, which began at midnight on July 3 and continued into the morning of July 4, were launched based on specific intelligence inputs indicating the presence of a large stockpile of warlike materials in remote and interior locations. Coordinated raids were carried out simultaneously across suspected areas in Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Churachandpur districts.

The security teams recovered 203 weapons, including 21 INSAS rifles, 11 AK-series rifles, 26 self-loading rifles (SLRs), 2 sniper rifles, 3 carbines, 17 .303 rifles, 2 51mm mortars, 2 MA assault rifles, and 3 M79 grenade launchers. Additionally, they found 1 rifle fitted with a scope, 18 single-shot breech-loaded guns, 11 single-barrel bolt-action rifles, 6 pistols, 1 .22 rifle, 3 lathodes, 31 single-bore guns, 3 country-made pistols, 4 muzzle-loaded rifles, and 38 pompi guns.

In addition to firearms, the forces seized various types of ammunition and explosives, including 29 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, 80 rounds of 7.62 mm, 30 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 10 hand grenades, 9 pompi shells, and 2 lathode grenades.

Officials described the recovery as a major success in the ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in Manipur. These operations, they said, are part of a broader security strategy to dismantle armed networks and prevent further violence in the region.

“The Manipur Police have reiterated their commitment to ensuring public safety and maintaining law and order. They urged the public to cooperate with the police and security forces by reporting any suspicious activity or information related to illegal arms. Citizens can contact the nearest police station or the Central Control Room for this purpose,” additional director general of police Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said, according to ANI.

Senior police officials remain in constant coordination with all security stakeholders to sustain such operations and ensure lasting peace and security in the state, he added.

Since the Manipur Violence over 6,000 weapons were looted from the state armoury and over 250 individuals have been killed, more than 60,000 individuals were displaced. Earlier, on February 27, security forces recovered 307 weapons, out of which 246 were deposited by Arambai Tengol, a Meitei group. Later, on June 14 in a big weapon haul in Manipur for the second time 328 weapons and 10,600 ammunition were also recovered. Both the weapons recovered were made from Manipur’s valley area.