Security forces arrested seven people from Manipur’s hill and valley districts on Tuesday and Wednesday for alleged possession of illegal firearms, officials said, in operations that included a probe into the July 6 ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in Ukhrul district that killed two personnel. The arrests and recoveries follow intensified search operations across vulnerable areas of the state.
Police said four residents of Sikibung village in Ukhrul were apprehended on Tuesday during a targeted operation launched to trace those involved in the July 6 attack at Shangshak near Nungshang Khong, about 17 km from the district headquarters. Authorities recovered two single‑barrel breech‑loading (SBBL) guns, live SBBL cartridges and a wireless communication set from the four accused.
In a separate operation on Wednesday, security forces arrested an active cadre of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party‑MC (Progressive) from Khurai Ahongei in Imphal East for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm. On the same day, two more individuals were arrested from Khurai Lairikyengbam, where police recovered a pistol, two magazines and 11 live rounds of ammunition.
The arrests come amid ongoing area‑domination exercises and intensified patrols that security agencies have carried out since the ethnic violence that began in May 2023. Authorities say these operations aim to curb militancy and the flow of illegal arms across both hill and valley regions.
More than 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the prolonged conflict between Meitei and Kuki‑Zo communities, police noted. Investigations into the July 6 ambush and the recent recoveries are continuing, officials added.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/manipur-crackdown-7-held-with-illegal-firearms-during-probe-into-deadly-assam-rifles-ambush-1425555-2026-07-16?utm_source=rssfeed
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-07-16 21:13:00
