Guwahati: Security forces on Friday carried out coordinated raids at 14 locations across five Manipur districts, recovering the biggest cache of arms, explosives and communication equipment seized in recent years, including 50 improvised explosive devices.The simultaneous operations were conducted in Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal and Tengnoupal, underlining the scale of insurgent stockpiles still concealed across the state.Manipur Police said all 50 IEDs were recovered from different locations in Tengnoupal district along the Myanmar border and were destroyed on the spot under strict safety protocols. According to police, 12 IEDs were found at Yangoubung, 29 at Loisi and Saivom villages, and nine at SL Zougam village.Besides, 15 hand grenades, both local and Chinese, two smoke bombs, one smoke grenade (WP 80), seven stun grenades, four HE mortars, two local bombs and two tube launching devices were also recovered.Alongside the explosives, forces seized more than 100 firearms, including one SLR, two INSAS rifles, an AK-56, one modified sniper rifle, one carbine, six improvised and standard .303 rifles, more than 20 single-barrel guns, over 30 country-made pistols, eight 9 mm pistols, including country-made, and seven .32 pistols.The haul also included 250+ live rounds of ammunition, multiple magazines and communication equipment such as Motorola, Baofeng and SIMOCO radio sets, binoculars, camouflage vests and helmets were also recovered.In Kakching district, police arrested Laishram Ashok Meitei (42), an active cadre of the banned KYKL outfit, who was found with a .303 rifle, 23 live rounds and a 12-bore cartridge.Manipur home minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh recently told the assembly that as many as 6,020 firearms were looted during the unrest. He said while security forces have so far recovered over 7,000 weapons in relentless search operations across the state, the recovery of arms looted from govt armouries remains incomplete and stressed that reclaiming these stockpiles continues to be a top priority for the govt.In the first week of violence that broke out on May 3, 2023, mobs stormed and ransacked police armouries, overpowered patrol teams, and even plundered the exhibit room of the state forensic laboratory, carting away weapons and ammunition in unprecedented numbers.According to officials, almost every variant of sophisticated weapons supplied by Indian ordnance factories to the state armed forces was part of the loot, which included the Amogh carbine, the Excalibur rifle and Ghaatak assault rifles.FIRs registered at different police stations regarding each of the mob raids on armouries mention the same sequence of events — several thousand rioters outnumbering security personnel at each location and walking away with weapons. The largest loot took place on May 28, 2023 at the headquarters of the 8th India Reserve (Commando) Battalion at Khabeisoi in Imphal East district when a mob of around 10,000 people, armed with weapons, catapults and iron rods surrounded the battalion headquarters and attacked the personnel.Armouries in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi were among the worst hit.
