Militants Loot Arms in Manipur; Police Recover Weapons, Arrest Extremist

GG News Bureau
Imphal, 10th Feb. A day after armed cadres of the militant group Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) looted several weapons and a large quantity of ammunition from a Manipur Rifles outpost in Thoubal district, security forces recovered most of the stolen arms and arrested an extremist, officials said on Sunday.

According to police, around 30 armed KCP militants, carrying sophisticated weapons, stormed a police outpost in Kakmayai on Saturday night. The attackers arrived in three vehicles, overpowered security personnel, and looted at least six Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), three AK rifles, and a cache of ammunition.

Following the attack, security forces launched a search operation and detained a suspected KCP cadre, identified as Hijam Ningthem Singh (49). Further investigations led to the recovery of three AK rifles and five SLRs from the Ngamukhong foothill area on Sunday.

As part of follow-up operations, security forces conducted extensive combing efforts in Ningel, Malom, Toubul, and Langathel, where they busted a KCP hideout in Langathel Chingkhong. The operation resulted in the seizure of a large cache of ammunition, including 48 live rounds of Insas and AK ammunition, 25 empty cartridges, grenades, and other weapons. The police also recovered a binocular, a Gypsy vehicle, five bulletproof vests, three armored helmets, and various military fatigues.

During the ethnic riots that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, over 6,000 weapons and lakhs of ammunition rounds were looted from police stations and outposts. Security forces have since recovered a significant number of arms, but many still remain unaccounted for, further fueling violence in the region.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who resigned on Sunday, along with the Home Department and other officials, has repeatedly urged those in possession of looted weapons to surrender them, warning of legal consequences for non-compliance.