Defaced Naga Monoliths Spark Road Blockade in Manipur, Arms Cache Recovered
Heightened tension prevailed in parts of Imphal East district following the alleged defacement of monoliths in a Naga village, which reportedly triggered a road blockade by local residents demanding action against those responsible.
Amid the tense situation, Indian security forces, in coordination with the Manipur Police, recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives from Phunal Maring Naga village near Irilbung Police Station on Saturday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs that armed individuals were hiding in and around the village, a joint operation was launched by the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police. The operation lasted around two hours and resulted in the recovery of multiple weapons and explosive materials.
The seized items included five 9 mm pistols, two hand grenades (without detonators), a submachine gun carbine marked ‘CT05’ (without magazine and grip), five live .303 ammunition rounds, four live AK-47 rounds (7.62 mm), a single-bore barrel bearing registration number 1667-76, two detonators, a BAOFENG radio set, a country-made machine gun with magazine, two .22 live ammunition rounds, and five anti-riot shells.
No arrests were made during the operation. Officials said all recovered items have been deposited at the nearest police station for further investigation and legal action.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation in the area as discussions continue to resolve the blockade and address concerns arising from the alleged defacement incident.
