Manipur: Improvised mortar, HE bombs seized in joint operation

Imphal: The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI), in coordination with Manipur police commandos, recovered a cache of explosives, including an improvised mortar fitted with an explosive initiation system.

Officials said on Wednesday that the recovery was made during an anti-insurgency operation conducted on Tuesday at a vulnerable location in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, which borders Myanmar to the south.

Acting on an intelligence input, JAKLI troops and Churachandpur district police commandos launched a search operation in the Hengkapkot village forest area under Churachandpur police station. No arrests were made during the two-hour operation, but the teams recovered the following items:

i) One improvised mortar with an explosive initiation system
ii) Two high-explosive (HE) bombs
iii) One smoke grenade
iv) Twenty-seven blank cases of different weapons

Security measures have also been intensified in the western parts of the state bordering Assam. CRPF personnel continued routine search operations and area domination exercises across vulnerable locations in Imphal West, Kangpokpi, Noney, Tamenglong and Jiribam districts.

Movement of 149 vehicles carrying essential commodities along NH-37, which connects Imphal to Silchar, has been secured. Strict security precautions have been enforced in all sensitive areas, and a security convoy is being provided at vulnerable stretches to ensure the safe and unhindered movement of vehicles.