Manipur: 8 of 9 firearms looted from IRB outpost recovered

Imphal, Feb 10 (PTI) Security forces have recovered eight of the nine firearms looted from an India Reserve Battalion (IRB) outpost in Manipur’s Thoubal district, a police statement said on Monday.

The firearms, including three AKs and five SLRs, were recovered during a search operation in Ngamukhong foothills in the district and a hideout of banned outfit Kangleipak Communist Party was also busted in another subsequent operation, it said.

“The operations were launched after around 30 armed miscreants equipped with sophisticated weapons, breached one police (IRB) outpost at Kakmayai in Thoubal district (on Saturday night) and overpowered the police personnel deployed at the post,” the police statement said.

“The armed miscreants looted nine firearms, including six SLR and 3 AKs, from the outpost and escaped,” it said.

Security personnel had managed to detain one of the miscreants, identified as Hijam Ningthem Singh (49) who was later identified as a member of KCP, the statement said.

During further course of investigation and relentless search operations at different locations, police on Sunday recovered three AKs and five SLRs out of the nine looted firearms from Ngamukhong foothill area, it said.

Further, as a part of follow-up operations, security forces also conducted huge combing operations in Ningel, Malom, Toubul and Langathel in Thoubal district during which one hideout of KCP was busted in Langathel Chingkhong area.

INSAS and AK cartridges, 11 hand grenades, one 9mm pistol, bullet-proof vests and other articles were recovered from the hideout.