IMPHAL, Nov 19: Manipur police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition in a joint operation with the central security forces in the peripheral area of Bishnupur district bordering Churachandpur district on Saturday.
The police have been conducting joint operations with the state and the central security forces at various places across the violent affected districts of the state since the middle week of September to recover armed and ammunition looted from the state police and security forces in the wake of the eruption of ethnic clash on May 3 last.
In continuation, the search operation, area domination and flag marches were conducted by the security forces in the fringes and vulnerable areas of Imphal west, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Tengnoupal districts, the police said.
In one of the operations at Uyumakhong village under Moirang police station of Bishnupur district, a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered, the police further said.
The recovered items were one SLR rifle with magazine, one carbine without magazine, four HE hand grenades, one 51 mm smoke bomb, one WP smoke bomb and two 2-inch para bombs.
The police recovered the cache in a joint operation with the troops of 5 Sikh Regiment as input regarding movement of miscreants and caching of explosives, arms and ammunition near Uyumakhong village.
The search operation was conducted after cordoning some areas of the village from 6 am and lasted till 8am, the source said. The recovered cache was handed over to Moirang police station after registering a case for further investigation, the police added.
A total of 5,668 arms along with ammunition were also looted during the initial stage of the violence that erupted in the state on May 3 last. (NNN)