In a significant blow to militant activities, security forces in Manipur have seized a substantial arsenal of weapons and explosives in a series of coordinated operations spanning four days. The operations, which stretched from Friday to Sunday across multiple districts, led to the recovery of a rocket loaded with nearly 100 kilograms of explosives, Chinese-made grenades, and a wide array of other arms and ammunition. Four active cadres of banned militant outfits were also apprehended during the crackdown.
Major Recoveries Across Multiple Districts
The most significant single recovery came on Saturday from Chingphei village in Churachandpur district's Henglep police station area. The haul included one heavy rocket, a sniper rifle fitted with a telescopic daylight scope, two country-made single-barrel breech-loading guns (SBBLs), a 9 mm pistol with a magazine, five live rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, ten 12-bore cartridges, and an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing approximately 3 kilograms.
On the same day, another cache was unearthed in Kangaching Tellou under Lamlai police station in Imphal East district. This recovery consisted of two .32 bore pistols with magazines, one 51 HE mortar bomb, two 36 hand grenades, 91 live rounds of assorted ammunition, two .303 light machine gun magazines, a Baofeng wireless set, seven bulletproof plates, a bulletproof helmet, a pistol holster, and a grenade.
Friday and Sunday Operations Yield More Weapons
The operations commenced on Friday with a seizure in Sejang village, also in Churachandpur district. Security forces recovered two medium-sized rockets, each weighing about 40 kilograms, three country-made double-barrel guns, and one single-barrel gun.
The final recovery of the weekend occurred on Sunday at Yairipok Top Ningthounai Lai Ching in Imphal East's Andro police station area. The items seized here were one Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) with a magazine, one single-barrel gun, three pistols (9 mm and .32 calibre) with magazines, two IEDs, three grenades (one of which was Chinese-made), 37 live rounds of ammunition, and logistical items including a raincoat, sleeping kit, and a foldable tent.
Four Militant Cadres Arrested
In tandem with the weapon recoveries, security forces arrested four individuals linked to proscribed militant groups. On Saturday, Mahesh Sarangthem (19), an active cadre of the Revolutionary People's Front/People's Liberation Army (RPF/PLA), was arrested from his residence in Thoubal district.
Also on Saturday, Tensubam Bangkim Singh alias Chak-thekpa alias Mangang Punshiba (25) of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP-Taibanganba) was arrested from Kongba Khunou in Imphal East. A 9 mm pistol, four live rounds, and a mobile phone were seized from him.
Sunday saw the arrest of Laishram Kullabi Meitei alias Ronel (35), another RPF/PLA cadre, from Imphal West, with two mobile phones recovered. In a separate action on Saturday, Laishram Jiban Singh (45) from Thoubal district was also taken into custody, and a mobile handset with a SIM card was seized. Officials stated that all the arrested individuals were involved in unlawful activities, including extortion.
The coordinated efforts by Manipur Police and other security forces over the extended weekend have successfully disrupted militant logistics and activities, recovering a dangerous and diverse cache of war-like materials intended for destabilizing the region.
