Manipur violence: Almost all arms of Kuki militants still intact in camps, says army

At least 102 people have been killed, over 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3.

Almost all weapons of Kuki militant groups that are part of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur remain intact in their designated camps, army officers familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Locals at a medical camp organised by the Assam Rifles for people of violence-hit areas in Manipur. (PTI)

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Their statements came even as combing operations to recover arms and ammunition looted from police stations and armories continued in the violence-hit state on Thursday.

At least 102 people have been killed, over 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

An army officer, requesting anonymity, said recent searches in 14 camps of Kuki militant groups revealed that almost all their weapons are locked up as per the SoO agreement.

The SoO agreement was signed by Kuki militant groups with the Centre and the Manipur government in August 2008, following the Kuki-Naga clashes. As per the agreement, the cadres of these groups were to be confined to designated camps and their arms kept locked in safe rooms under double-locking system.

During the recent searches, it was found that nearly 70 weapons belonging to these groups were burnt during the violence that erupted on May 3, the officer cited above said.

“During the surprise checks, the last of which was on June 3, done by Assam Rifles as well as Manipur Police, it was found that there was an average attendance of around 60% (cadres) in the designated camps,” the officer said.

While the cadre attendance was around 50% in some camps, it was as high as 80% in others. The army has maintained that even prior to the ethnic clashes, the attendance in these camps was around 70% as some militants stayed with their families.

“The army version corroborates what we have been maintaining all along that our cadres are not involved in the ongoing violence and our weapons are intact in the camps,” a senior Kuki leader, whose group is part of the SoO agreement, said.

The state government has repeatedly claimed that SoO group militants could be involved in spreading recent violence.

Meanwhile, 35 weapons were recovered in combing operations on Thursday.

Read here: Army, Assam rifles join operations to retrieve looted arms in Manipur

“Focus remained on intelligence-based searches of villages in Imphal Valley and hill areas” the Spear Corps division of Indian Army said in a statement.

With the latest seizure, a total of 896 arms and 11,763 ammunition have been recovered so far.