Manipur: 196 Weapons Recovered as Forces Prepare to Retrieve Remaining Looted Arms

Imphal, March 7 (NationPress) In response to the appeal made by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a total of 196 looted and illegally possessed weapons, including several advanced arms, were handed back to the police on Thursday, which marked the final day for the surrender of these arms, officials confirmed.

A senior police official stated late Thursday night that the 196 arms along with a considerable stockpile of ammunition were returned during the last day of the amnesty period across eight districts of Manipur: Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Jiribam, and Pherzawl.

From this point forward, the Central and state security forces, including the Army and Assam Rifles, will initiate a significant operation aimed at recovering the remaining looted and illegally held arms in both the valley and hilly areas.

"Another crucial aspect of our mission is to guarantee the unobstructed movement of individuals and vehicles on all roads in Manipur starting March 8, as directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah," the official informed IANS.

According to senior police officials, as of Thursday (March 6), over 967 looted and illegally held weapons, including a variety of sophisticated arms and a vast amount of ammunition, have been returned to security forces since Governor Bhalla first made his appeal on February 20.

To reinstate peace and normalcy, the Union Home Minister held a high-level meeting on March 1 in New Delhi to assess the overall security situation in Manipur.

The meeting included the Manipur Governor, Chief Secretary, Security Advisor to the state government, Director General of Manipur Police, Home Commissioner, and top officials from the Army, Assam Rifles, Central Armed Police Forces, and intelligence.

During the meeting, Amit Shah stated that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is fully committed to reinstating enduring peace in Manipur and is providing all necessary support in this pursuit.

He also instructed that free movement must be secured for people on all roads in Manipur starting from March 8, and mandated strict action against anyone attempting to create hindrances.

Amit Shah additionally directed that the fencing work on both sides of the designated entry points along Manipur's border with Myanmar should be expedited.

He emphasized that to achieve a drug-free Manipur, the entire network involved in the drug trade must be dismantled.

The March 1 meeting in Delhi was the first high-level review conducted after the declaration of President's Rule in the northeastern state, which has been experiencing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3, 2023.

The President's Rule was enacted in the troubled region on February 13, just four days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh stepped down.

Reports indicate that during the ethnic riots between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities starting May 3, 2023, over 6,000 various types of sophisticated arms and a large quantity of assorted ammunition were looted from police stations and outposts by mobs and militants.

So far, security forces have managed to recover a significant number of the looted arms during ongoing operations.

In a recent appeal on February 28, Governor Bhalla stated: "The request made on February 20 has seen a positive response. Following the expiration of the seven-day voluntary surrender deadline, there has been a request from both valley and hill areas to extend the surrender period. I have considered this and decided to extend the deadline until 4 p.m. on March 6 for voluntary surrender. During this time, no punitive action will be taken against individuals who voluntarily surrender their weapons. However, any person found in possession of illegal or looted arms after the deadline will face legal consequences as per the law."