IMPHAL, Feb 11: In the ongoing search and area domination operations in vulnerable and fringe areas, Manipur police, in joint operations with central security forces, recovered caches of arms, ammunition and warlike stores in the last 24 hours.
A combined team of police and 33 Assam Rifles conducted one such operation in the jungle of Gwarok Ching under Yairipok police station of Thoubal district today.
In the operation that started from 6 am and lasted till 8am, a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were recovered, the police said.
The recovered items were five two-inch Nor Shell, five 36 Hand Grenade (can be used as explosive), one tear smoke grenade, one tear smoke shell (normal), two tear smoke shell soft nose (SR), one 38 mm cartridge with rubber, one country made mort shell, one 9mm LMG with two magazine, one 7.65 mm pistol Browning’s Patent with one magazine, one revolver (country made), one air gun and one HTRF walkie talkie, it added.
The recovered items were later handed over to Yairipok police station for further necessary actions, the police also said.
On February 9, a combined force of state police and central forces also recovered a cache of arms, ammunition and warlike stores during search operations and area domination at a place between Songjang village and Thonglang Akutpa village along IT road in Kangpokpi district.
The recovered items were one 9mm pistol with magazine, one 7.65mm pistol with magazine, ten 9mm ammunition, two .32 mm ammunition, three 9mm empty case and two .32 mm empty case.
The security forces further recovered one carbine machine gun with magazine, one INSAS magazine, eight 5.56 mm ammunition, one HE 36 hand grenade, one 51 mm mor illumination round, one local made pumpi, two local made hand grenade and one walkie-talkie along with charger during another operation at N Changoubung in Kangpokpi district on the same day.
The recovered items were handed over to the concerned police stations for necessary proceedings, the police said.
The state police along with the state and the Central security forces have been conducting search and area domination operations in the vulnerable and fringe areas of violent affected districts of the state, in their efforts to restore normalcy.
Another objective of the ongoing operations was to recover arms and ammunition looted by mobs during the initial stage of the violence that had been unfolding in the state since May 3 last.
A total of 5,668 arms along with ammunition were also looted during the initial stage of the violence, according to the police. (NNN)