Security forces in Manipur recovered 90 illegal arms and 728 rounds of ammunition during a joint operation across five Imphal valley districts. This marks the fourth major seizure in six weeks, underscoring intensified intelligence-led efforts to restore peace, public order, and security in the violence-hit northeastern state.
In a major breakthrough, security forces in Manipur recovered 90 illegal arms and 728 rounds of assorted ammunition during coordinated operations conducted across five districts of the violence-hit Imphal Valley on Saturday. The joint effort, led by Manipur Police and central security agencies, is being hailed as another success in the state’s ongoing battle to restore peace and public order.
According to a senior police official, the operations were launched in the early hours of Saturday based on specific intelligence inputs about hidden arms caches across multiple districts. The well-coordinated joint teams comprising Manipur Police, the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) launched simultaneous search operations in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching districts.
The massive cache includes 90 weapons such as five INSAS rifles, four Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), three AK-series rifles, seven .303 rifles, 20 pistols, four carbines, eight rifles, 20 Single Barrel Breech Loading (SBBL) and Bore Action rifles, and three anti-riot guns. Several other categories of weapons were also recovered.
The ammunition seized includes 728 different types of rounds, including 21 grenades, mortar shells, explosives, tube launchers, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). In addition, the forces recovered 41 assorted magazines and 24 wireless handsets, further adding to the significance of the operation.
This successful arms recovery marks the fourth major seizure by security forces within just a month and a half. Prior to this, on July 15, security personnel recovered 86 arms and 974 rounds of ammunition from the same Imphal valley districts. Earlier on July 4, an operation led to the seizure of 203 arms and 160 rounds of ammunition from the hill districts of Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Churachandpur.
The largest haul so far occurred on June 14, when joint forces recovered 328 arms and 9,300 rounds of ammunition in a massive crackdown across the Imphal Valley.
“These operations demonstrate the resolve of the state police and the security apparatus to dismantle illegal arms networks and restore lasting peace in Manipur,” a police spokesperson said in a statement issued Saturday evening.
The Manipur Police highlighted that these operations are the result of coordinated intelligence sharing and focused search missions, aimed at disarming anti-social elements and curbing the illegal flow of arms in the region.
“The Manipur Police reaffirms its commitment to fostering a peaceful and secure Manipur. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or information about illegal arms to the nearest police station or Central Control Room,” the official statement urged.
Security sources revealed that senior police officials remain in constant coordination with all central security stakeholders to ensure that such operations are carried out in a sustained and targeted manner. The emphasis, they said, remains on the twin goals of maintaining public order and safeguarding the lives and property of the people of Manipur.
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The northeastern state has witnessed ethnic unrest and recurring violence since May 2023, and security forces have been conducting intensified operations across the region in a bid to stabilize the situation. The repeated recovery of arms from both valley and hill districts underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement in dismantling entrenched networks of illegal weapon possession.
As peace-building efforts continue, such operations offer a glimmer of hope for stability in Manipur, where civil society groups and state authorities are working in tandem to restore normalcy.
