IMPHAL, Dec 5: Police in restive Manipur recovered a cache of arms and ammunition recently in a joint operation with central security forces in the fringe area of Imphal East district.
The recovered arms and ammunition were three SMG carbines with empty magazines, 15 HE 36 hand grenades without detonator, six WP smoke grenades without detonator, 18 two inches (2”) mortar HE bombs and six 75 MK-2 detonators, police said.
The cache was discovered during a cordon and search operation at hill range of Nongshum and Khamenlok areas under Sagolmang police station of Imphal East district bordering Kangpokpi district.
The operation was conducted by a combined team of Sagolmang police station, Imphal East police commandos and a column of 18 and 32 Assam Rifles. The operation started from around 9.30 am and lasted till 2.30 pm, the police also said.
The police suspected the arms were being kept hidden by unknown miscreants.
The police along with the state and the central security forces have been conducting combing operations in the fringe and vulnerable areas of the violent affected districts of the state to recover arms and ammunition in the possessions of the miscreants engaged in the gun clashes in the backdrop of ethnic conflict unfolding in the state since May 3 last.
During the initial stage of the violence clashes, mobs have looted a total of 5,668 arms along with over 50,000 rounds of ammunition from the police and armouries of the state security forces.
Looting of maximum numbers of arms and ammunition took place in Imphal West, Imphal East and Churachandpur districts, according to the police. (NNN)
