Seizure of mortars, grenades highlights persistant threat from armed groups in Manipur’s hills, valley

Churachandpur accounts for highest number of arms recoveries between 11 September and 28 September, followed by Kangpokpi and Bishnupur.

Manipur Police recover weapons during a search operation | File Photo | Churachandpur Police

Guwahati: The central and Manipur state security forces conducted a series of intelligence-based operations last month in ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in Manipur, recovering a significant number of illegal arms and ammunition from both the hills and the valley. 

The hill district of Churachandpur accounted for the highest number of arms recovered between 11 September and 28 September, an assessment of the nature and quantity of recoveries in this period has shown. Following close are the districts of Kangpokpi (hills) and Bishnupur (valley), with nearly equal levels of recovery. A few significant items have also been recovered from Thoubal in the Imphal valley.

The Indian Army, in collaboration with the Manipur Police and the paramilitary forces of Assam Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force, besides Border Security Force, participated in the joint search operations, spanning 20 days.

At a time when the security forces are sparing no effort to trace and rescue two Meitei youth “abducted” last Friday, these arms recoveries highlight the persistent threat posed by armed groups in the state.

The relentless ethnic conflict in Manipur between the majority Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi tribals took an even darker turn in September, with the alleged use of drones and rocket systems to launch offensives. The series of incidents last month triggered a spate of clashes between armed groups, not only resulting in the loss of lives and property but also raising concerns about the prevailing law and order situation in the state. 

The claims of the use of bomb drones, however, were dismissed by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi Tuesday as part of ”wrong narratives”. No bomb drones were found, he said, adding that the claim that 900 anti-national elements had infiltrated Manipur from Myanmar was also incorrect.

However, the arsenal recovered, including a wide array of weapons, ranging from assault rifles and mortars to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), proves that the armed groups have access to sophisticated weaponry. The successful recovery of such weapons has helped the forces build confidence among the local population. 

Of the 6,000 arms looted from state armouries during the initial days of the conflict in May last year, only 2,681 weapons have been seized and recovered till now, revealed Kuldiep Singh, security adviser to the Manipur government, during a press conference in Imphal on 20 September.

Singh also revealed that among these weapons recovered, only 1,200 were “looted”, and of the 1,400 weapons “not looted”, 800 were found to be “sophisticated”. 

In this report, ThePrint lists the weapons and other supplementary materials seized from the hill and valley districts.

Churachandpur

A series of operations in the Churachandpur district throughout September led to the recovery of at least 12 distinct types of weapons and items, including five Pompi — country-made mortars of varying size and range, typically used in conflict. 

On 11 September, one AK-series assault rifle and three medium-sized Pompi and warlike stores were seized. Again, on 21 September, a search operation in the heavily forested Thangjing ridge in the district led to the recovery of two 9-mm pistols, one single-barrel rifle, two locally fabricated rockets measuring 5.5 feet and 3 feet, one modified long-range mortar, two modified medium-range mortars, four mortar bombs, nine live rounds, 6.2 kg of explosives, nine fuses, and 17 metres of cortex. 

Additionally, on 25 September, two heavy long-range Pompi and grenades were recovered.

Kangpokpi

Ten different types of weapons and items were recovered from the hill district of Kangpokpi between 11 September and 28 September. 

On 12 September, one modified M-16 rifle, one 7.5-foot country-made rocket, and one large country-made mortar, along with ammunition and warlike stores, were seized.

On 27 September, two .303 bolt action rifles, one 9-mm pistol, grenades, ammunition, and additional warlike stores were recovered near the Loiching Ridge.

The next day, on 28 September, the operation along the Aigejang ridge line in Kangpokpi led to the recovery of one .303 sniper rifle, one .303 bolt action rifle, two 9-mm pistols, grenades, and ammunition, apart from warlike stores.

Bishnupur

At least 10 items, including firearms and Pompi, were recovered from Bishnupur district. On 21 September, security forces recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition that included two Pompi (country-made mortars), two modified carbine submachine guns, one single-barrel rifle, three pistols, and one grenade. Additionally, various ammunition and warlike stores were also seized during the operation.

Imphal East valley

On the same day (21 September), three IEDs weighing approximately 42.5 kg were detected and diffused in Imphal East. There were no firearms recovered during the search operation, though the sheer weight of the IEDs recovered from near the Maphital ridge suggested the risk of large-scale attacks. 

Thoubal

On 25 and 27 September, security forces conducted operations in the Thoubal district, resulting in the recovery of one 7.62-mm Self Loading Rifle (SLR), two 9-mm carbines, one 9-mm pistol, and one 0.32-mm pistol, along with grenades, ammunition, and various warlike stores.

In a related operation, a 10-kg Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detected and safely neutralized along the state highway 18. All recovered items were reportedly handed over to the local police for further investigation.

The Manipur government has approved the extension of the “disturbed area” status of the state under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for another six months, effective from Tuesday. This, however, excludes municipal areas of Imphal and those within the jurisdiction of 19 police stations.

Some excluded police stations are in Imphal, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Moirang, and Kakching — all areas that have witnessed significant unrest in the past year, especially in the villages between valley and hill districts.

In the rest of Manipur, AFSPA grants the armed forces the authority to “use force, even to the causing of death” against those suspected of violating the law, engaging in armed conflict, or posing an imminent threat.

Some Kuki-Zo leaders earlier told ThePrint that withdrawing the AFSPA and military support from valley areas has worsened the conflict. Those from the Meitei community, however, said that the continued imposition of AFSPA in the valley would have led to further bloodshed.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)