More than 70% guns still missing in violence-hit Manipur: Report
What's the story
Security forces deployed in violence-hit Manipur are facing the tough task of maintaining law and order in the state as they can't operate optimally in tense zones. As per reports, more than 70% of weapons looted from police armories are still missing, and the probability of recovering them diminishes each day as security personnel regularly get trapped while conducting search operations.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Weapon recovery operations in the northeastern state haven't seen much success over the past week, with central agencies suspecting that ammunition might have been distributed among numerous groups, making it nearly impossible to track down. Manipur has been facing turmoil since May 3 when riots broke out between the Meiteis and tribal Kuki communities over demands for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status by the former.
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Top Manipur official gives insight on situation
Speaking to the news outlet News18, a top Manipur government official revealed, "There are only two ways of recovering missing, or looted weapons — one is either the public returns them or forces recover them by conducting operations." "Every day, we are recovering weapons, but the number is in single digits. Close to 1,100 weapons were recovered till last week," the official added.
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Difficulties faced by security personnel in Manipur
As per reports, security forces are facing war-like situations when conducting operations as locals keep resisting arrests and the recovery of weapons. Furthermore, security personnel of the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Assam Rifles have alleged that recoveries and apprehension are challenging as they have had to deal with irate mobs of 500-2,000 individuals, and sometimes more.
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Women-led mob forced Army personnel to release 12 KYKL militants
In one such incident, security forces were forced to release 12 Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) militants on Saturday after a women-led mob of almost 1,500 people surrounded them in Imphal East's Itham village and thwarted a combing operation by the Indian Army. "In the ensuing operation, 12 KYKL cadres were apprehended along with arms, ammunition, and war-like stores (sic)," an Army spokesperson said.
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Why Army decided to leave Itham and release militants
The spokesperson also revealed that the 12 KYKL militants they apprehended included wanted terrorist Moirangthem Tamba, the mastermind behind the 2015 "6 Dogra Regiment" ambush that killed nearly 20 army personnel. The Army ultimately decided to let the militants go after their pleas to the aggressive mob to let them continue their operation fell on deaf ears, according to the news outlet Hindustan Times.
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Casualties cross double figures in violence-struck Manipur
Since conflicts broke out in Manipur over a month ago, a minimum of 115 people have lost their lives, and more than 3,000 have reportedly sustained injuries. The exact number of deaths, however, remains disputed. The ongoing violence in the northeastern state has also resulted in over 50,000 people being displaced from their homes, with the tribal group Kuki calling for a separate administration.