Manipur: 4000 weapons, 5 lakh rounds of ammo looted in past few weeks: security sources

Sources said the weapons include Insas rifles, AK 47 assault rifles and other varieties

It has now come to light that the total number of weapons looted since the violence began in Manipur has been to the tune of 4000. Highly placed security sources said that along with these weapons, around five lakh rounds of ammunition had also been snatched by mobs during the past few weeks.

Sources said the weapons include Insas rifles, AK 47 assault rifles and other varieties. It is believed the existence of these weapons among people outside the law enforcing establishment could be one of the reasons of shootings and counter shootings that the state witnessed in the past few weeks.

The Army, police and the paramilitary are now focusing on disarming such people. The government on its part has sent out the message that those who return looted weapons will be granted amnesty.

The MLAs are currently engaged in appealing to the people to return the weapons . These appeals have yielded positive results. Government leaders said the MLAs and the police have been getting calls from unknown people who inform them of locations where weapons are kept to be taken away by the authorities.

So far, around 600 of the 4000 looted weapons have been recovered, sources said. The chief minister , according to the sources, is closely monitoring the efforts to get the looted weapons back.

Sources said Manipur is under unified command now and security forces would intensify combing operations if the looted weapons are not recovered fully.

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