Crackdown in Manipur: Banned Outfit Member Held, Weapons Stockpile Recovered

Security forces achieved a significant breakthrough in Manipur by arresting a suspected militant linked to a banned insurgent outfit and recovering a substantial cache of arms and ammunition in two separate operations conducted on Monday, police said.

According to officials, a 42-year-old self-styled major of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (Apunba) was apprehended from his residence in the Wangoo Mameiching area of Kakching district. The arrest was carried out following intelligence inputs as part of ongoing efforts to curb militant activities across the state.

In another operation on the same day, security personnel launched a search in the Makokching jungle under the jurisdiction of Saikul Police Station in Kangpokpi district, leading to the recovery of a large stockpile of weapons, explosives and communication equipment.

Police said the seized arsenal included one M16 rifle, one sniper rifle, one Mark III rifle, seven pistols, one .22 bolt-action gun and 25 single-barrel guns. Security personnel also recovered 76 live rounds of ammunition of various calibres, four pumpis, three hand grenades, twenty detonators and four radio sets, indicating the presence of a well-equipped militant network.

Officials said the recovered weapons have been taken into custody for forensic examination, while investigations are underway to determine their origin, intended use and possible links to insurgent groups operating in the region.

The latest operations form part of continuous search and area domination exercises being conducted by security forces in vulnerable and sensitive areas across Manipur to prevent militant movement and restore normalcy.

The northeastern state has remained under heightened security since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted in May 2023. The conflict has claimed more than 260 lives, displaced thousands of residents and posed persistent law-and-order challenges.

Authorities said security operations will continue across the state to dismantle militant networks, recover illegal weapons and strengthen public safety while maintaining peace.