Imphal (Manipur):
The Manipur security forces conducted search operations and area domination in the vulnerable hill and valley districts, following which they recovered a large weapons cache.
These operations were carried out to maintain order and prevent any escalation in the region, said the Manipur Police in an official statement on Sunday.
According to the Manipur Police, during the search operations in Phayeng Porom Hill and the K Songlung area under Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts, the security forces recovered several items. These included 11 live rounds of SLR ammunition, one magazine of SLR, 66 empty cartridges of SLR, a radio set battery and antenna, one misfired AK round, 102 empty AK cartridges, two empty SLR cartridges, one 12-bore cartridge, and one locally made bomb. These items were found as part of the ongoing operations to maintain peace in the region.
In a follow-up to an incident that occurred on October 1, in which armed miscreants had forcibly snatched an SUV (Fortuner) from a civilian in Imphal West, it was discovered that the stolen vehicle had been used by an AT member, Asem Kanan Singh (50), from Uripok Sorbon Thingel, Imphal West, and his associates, the police statement added.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, a combined team of security forces raided the residence of Asem Kanan Singh but was unable to locate the accused or his associates, said the Manipur Police. However, during the raid, several items were seized, including a DVD machine of a CCTV camera, an i-20 vehicle, three olive-green bags, a yellow life jacket marked SDRF, an air gun (Hurricane MOD-18), and two bulletproof jackets with metal plates.
In another development from yesterday, the Manipur Police arrested Khumbongmayum Abhijit Singh (26), an active cadre of PREPAK, from the Kakching Chumnang area in Kakching District.
Furthermore, the press release added that the movement of 371 vehicles carrying essential items along NH-2 had been ensured under strict security measures. Security forces are providing convoy protection in sensitive areas to ensure the safe passage of these vehicles.
As per the official statement, “A total of 106 Nakas/Checkpoints were installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hill and the valley, and no one was detained by the police in connection with violations in different districts of the state.”
The Manipur Police have also appealed to the public to refrain from believing rumors and to verify any false videos. The public has been urged to confirm the authenticity of any circulated videos with the Central Control Room at the rumour-free number, 9233522822.
Additionally, the Manipur Police said, “An appeal is made to the public to return the looted arms, ammunition, and explosives to the police or nearest security forces immediately.”