GUWAHATI: Militants raided an India Reserve Battalion (IRB) outpost in Thoubal district of Manipur and looted six SLRs, three AK-series rifles, and a large quantity of ammunition Saturday night.
Additional forces were deployed and a search was conducted, yielding eight stolen weapons. However, one SLR remained missing at the time of reporting. An investigation has been launched to determine how the attack was carried out, which left three security personnel wounded, police said. Sources said gunmen arrived in multiple vehicles, seized weapons at gunpoint, and fled with around 270 rounds of ammunition and 12 magazines. Police identified militants from Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) as the attackers, though other groups are also suspected to have been involved. A KCP militant was arrested Sunday.
The looting of arms from forces has been a persistent issue in Manipur since the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023. Mobs and insurgent groups have taken away thousands of weapons and ammunition from police stations, IRB outposts, and armouries.
In the initial months of violence, an estimated 4,000 weapons, including AK-series rifles, SLRs, and carbines, were looted, along with over 6 lakh rounds of ammunition. While forces have managed to recover a portion of the arms, a large number remained in circulation, fuelling extortion, targeted attacks, and insurgency.