Imphal, July 4 (IANS) In a major breakthrough within three weeks, the security forces in joint operations, have recovered 203 arms, mostly sophisticated and around 160 different types of ammunition from the hilly areas of restive Manipur, officials said here on Friday.

A senior police official said that acting on specific intelligence regarding the presence of a large cache of arms, ammunition, and other warlike materials concealed in various locations, coordinated operations were launched simultaneously at multiple sites in the interior and suspected areas of four districts in the hill region.

He said that joint teams comprising Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) launched intensive operations simultaneously at multiple sites in the interior and suspected areas of Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Churachandpur districts on Thursday and continued till Friday. These operations resulted in the recovery of the 203 arms and around 160 different types of ammunition, explosives, and other warlike stores.

The arms include 21 INSAS Rifles, 11 AK series rifles, and 26 Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), two sniper rifles, three carbines, 17 PT – 303 rifles, two 5 mm Mor, two MA Assault rifles, three M 79 Grenade Launchers, one Rifle with Scope, 18 Single shot Breech Loaded, 11 Single Barrel Bolt Action, six pistols, one – Point 22 Rifle, two Lathode, 25 Single Bore, three pistols (country-made), four Muzzle loaded rifles, six Single Bore, 38 – Pompi and one Lathode.

The ammunition and explosives included 29 – 5.56 mm, 80 – 7.62 mm, 30 IEDs, 10 Grenades, nine Pompi Shells, and two Lathode Grenades.

The official said that these intelligence-based coordinated operations in the hill districts represent a significant achievement for the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, Army and Central Security Forces in their ongoing efforts to restore normalcy, maintain public order, and ensure the safety and security of citizens and their property.

The Manipur Police reiterates its commitment to fostering a peaceful and secure Manipur, he told the media.

A statement issued from the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) said that the Manipur Police authority urged the people to cooperate with the police and Security Forces, and to promptly report any suspicious activity or information related to illegal arms to the nearest police station or the Central Control Room.

Senior police officials remain in close coordination with all security stakeholders to ensure that such operations continue in a sustained and focused manner, aimed at restoring normalcy, maintaining public order, and safeguarding the lives and property of all citizens.

The latest recovery of huge arms and ammunition took place three weeks after the recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition following joint operations of the security forces on June 13-14.

The security forces in joint operations on June 13-14 recovered 328 arms and around 9,300 different types of ammunition from Manipur’s five Imphal valley districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching districts.

After the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13, four days after the resignation of N Biren Singh from the Chief Minister’s post, the security forces achieved two major successes in the recovery of arms and ammunition in three weeks.

Till March 6, around 1,000 looted and illegally held weapons, including many sophisticated arms, and a huge cache of ammunition, have been returned to the security forces since Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla made the appeal for the first time on February 20.

–IANS

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