Imphal, Manipur – Over 1,000 arms and a substantial quantity of ammunition have been surrendered to security forces in Manipur during a two-week window provided for the voluntary handover of looted and illegally held weapons.
This figure, released by a senior police officer on Friday, remains provisional, with expectations of an increase as comprehensive data from all districts becomes available. The deadline for this surrender, aimed at mitigating the ongoing ethnic strife in the region, concluded on Thursday.
The final day of the surrender period saw 196 arms, along with ammunition and other miscellaneous items, turned in across eight districts. These districts, namely Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, Jiribam, Churachandpur, and Pherzawl, served as key points for the surrender process, which concluded at 4 pm on Thursday. The surrendered weaponry includes a diverse array of firearms, ranging from handguns and machine guns to grenades, mortars, and sophisticated rifles like INSAS and AK-56. Authorities are currently in the process of segregating looted arms from those acquired illegally.
Following the expiration of the surrender deadline, joint security forces initiated intensive combing and search operations throughout the state. These operations resulted in the recovery of 36 additional arms, 129 rounds of ammunition, seven explosives, and 21 miscellaneous items. Furthermore, 15 illegal bunkers were dismantled in the Kangpokpi district during these operations. The extension of the surrender deadline was previously authorized by Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the governor of Manipur, which is currently under President’s Rule, in an effort to stabilize the region.
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