Manipur militia surrenders largest cache of looted weapons

On the final day of the deadline set by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for surrenders weapons looted from state armories during the conflict, Imphal witnessed a rare scene. A convoy of vehicles from the radical armed group Arambai Tenggol arrived, carrying a large cache of firearms. The group handed over 246 weapons at the 1st MR complex in Imphal West.

This large-scale weapon surrender took place just two days after the group’s members met Governor Bhalla at Raj Bhawan. It marks the most significant surrender of illegally held arms in the conflict-ridden state so far.

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Governor’s Appeal for Weapon Surrenders and Ongoing Recoveries

On February 20, the Governor urged people of all communities to surrender weapons at their nearest security establishments within seven days, assuring them that authorities would not take punitive action. However, he warned that possessing such weapons after the deadline would lead to “strict action.”

Since the conflict began in May 2023, individuals have looted around 6,000 weapons from state armouries. Even after 21 months, some groups are still attempting to seize more weapons. By September 2024, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh reported that security forces had recovered 1,200 looted weapons, while the rest remained in circulation.

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