Guwahati: In a major breakthrough against militants in conflict-torn Manipur, security forces have seized 68 sophisticated weapons and arrested four cadres of the UNLF (Pambei faction), a Valley-based armed group that had signed a pact with the government in 2023.
Weapons include AK series rifles, snipers, carbines, mortars, RPG launchers, drone jammers and ammunition. Most of them are used by security forces and were suspected to have been looted during the conflict involving the Meitei and Kuki communities that erupted in 2023.
Based on intelligence inputs about a group trying to sell some arms, the police launched an operation in Lamdeng area of Imphal West district on Wednesday which led to the recovery of an INSAS weapon and the arrest of two UNLF (P) cadres. The duo were identified as Heishnam Thomas Singh and Arambam Tomtom Singh. Police said that during the operation, accomplices of the two opened fire on the forces after which two more militants, identified as Ningthoujam Rakesh Singh and Chingakham Mahesh Singh, were captured.
“Based on their findings, a search was conducted at an unauthorized UNLF (P) camp in Lamdeng during which 29 more weapons including AK series rifles, M series rifles, pistols and others were recovered on Wednesday. Today, 38 more weapons were recovered,” a police officer told reporters in Imphal on Thursday.
The weapons recovered included AK-series rifles, sniper rifles, carbines, an RPG launcher, drone hammers and explosives.
Arms trade
The police suspect that the weapons were stolen by the security forces and were intended for sale. “We are verifying the details of where the weapons were stolen from,” he said.
The recovery of weapons from a camp of the UNLF (P), an armed group of Meitei, came as a surprise after it had signed a ceasefire with the government in November 2023.
The recovery came amid efforts to end the conflict involving Meites and Kukis since May 2023 and recent violence involving Kukis and Nagas.
