Manipur: Huge arms cache seized by security forces after clash with militants

Imphal: Manipur police and security forces reported success against armed militants following a gunfight on Monday evening between Tamenglong and Jiribam districts.

A morning bulletin released on Tuesday detailed how security forces, including the 39 Assam Rifles, responded to reports of gunfire near the villages of Phaitol (Tamenglong) and Leingangpokpi (Jiribam).

Six militants managed to escape the ensuing search operation, but security forces recovered a significant cache of weapons and supplies.

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The firearms included a locally-made .303 rifle, two single-barrel rifles, and a local 12-bore rifle. Two country-made .32mm pistols with magazines were also seized.

Moving to explosives, the security forces found seven pompi bombs, five handmade explosive devices, five vials of gunpowder, and five detonators. Additionally, they recovered twenty-three empty 12-bore cartridges and five meters of safety fuse wire.

The seized equipment included two rifle slings, six walkie-talkie chargers, three bulletproof jackets, and two iron plates (presumably for additional ballistic protection). Two combat uniforms, a pair of hunting shoes, and two pairs of jungle boots rounded out the military gear.

For communication, the militants possessed a loaded pompy gun (potentially a flare gun) and a Motorola walkie-talkie. Other items included two helmets, two slingshots, two flashlights, and six mobile phone chargers.

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Finally, the security forces seized a miscellaneous collection including a waist belt, a baseball cap, an extension cord, a switchboard, a laptop with a mouse, three smartphones, a keypad phone, and a power bank.

They also found 247 live rounds of ammunition, a single 200 rupee note, and 50 pieces of metal shrapnel.

The report stated that the seized items have been handed over to the police for investigation and legal proceedings.