One killed, 10 injured as SFs thwart bid to loot arms
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 14 2024:
One person was killed and 10 others were injured when security forces opened fire to disperse a mob who tried to storm two security posts on Tuesday evening.
Angered by inability of both the state and central forces to defend and protect them from repeated attacks by Kuki militants from all sides, large number of people stormed two security posts in Imphal East district and demanded weapons.
However, security forces guarding the posts opened fire to disperse the people.
At least 11 people were injured in the firing with one succumbing on the way to hospital.
The deceased has been identified as Okram Santosh alias Sana-ton (24), son of Inao of Pangei Okram Leikai.
A bullet hit the abdomen of Santosh, who was pronounced brought dead by doctors on at JNIMS hospital, as the other injured persons underwent treatment at JNIMS, Little Clinic, Nagaram.
According to sources, large number of people upset over casualties suffered in frequent offensives by Kuki militants in the past few days stormed the 5IRB post at Chingarel Tejpur at about 8.30pm Tuesday and demanded to hand over the weapons to them as state and central forces are unable to protect and defend them from uninterrupted attacks by Kuki militants.
Security personnel stationed at the post opened fire to disperse the people.
However, more people from different sides congregated and tried to storm the security post once again.
At about 10 pm, additional district police personnel and central forces came to the site and managed to disperse the people by opening blank-fire and tear gas shells.
The large number of people mainly youth then moved towards Pangei and stormed the MPTC, where central forces deployed opened fire and tear gas shells to disperse the people.
The firing left several people injured with one passing away enroute to hospital.
Firing continued till midnight as additional security forces maintained strict vigil on important roads leading to MPTC.
Meanwhile, sit-in-protest was staged Wednesday at Pangei bazar against Tuesday's firing and blocked Pangei road by forming a JAC.
Briefing the media, JAC co-con-vener Jiko demanded that all the central forces deployed in Manipur must be removed apart from declaring that the JAC will not claim Santosh's body until booking of all those involved in Tuesday night's firing.
He also said that responsibility for defending the state should be handed over to the people if the state government is unable to take on the Kuki militants.
Meanwhile, a report of Manipur police control room said that six persons have been arrested regarding the arms looting case of 5 IRB Chingarel and all of them have been remanded into police custody by judicial magistrate.
The report also said that four INSAS rifles, one AK Ghatak, two magazines of SLR and 16 small boxes of 9 mm ammunition suspected to have been looted from 5 IRB have been recovered by Manipur police.
The report further said that situation in the state was tense in the past 24 hours with sporadic incidents of firing but under control.
It also said that search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts.
During the operation, one improvised Projectile Launcher, one improvised grenade launcher and two improvised projectiles were recovered on February 12 from Kangpokpi district.
In another operation conducted in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, one 9 mm Uzi sub-machine gun along with magazine, eight live rounds, one .32 pistol with magazine, two hand grenades, two 80 WP smoke grenades and two detonators were recovered.
The report also mentioned recovery of several arms and ammunition during another operation in Kangpokpi district on Wednesday.
The recovered arms include one .303 Rifle with magazine, two 12 inch single bore barrel guns, one improvised projectile launcher, one improvised mortar, six 36 HE hand grenades, two 2 inch mortar rounds, two improvised mortar shells, one improvised explosive device weighing 3 kg, tour 9mm ball rounds, one 5.56mm INSAS live round, one 7.62mm CTN, 62 numbers of 7.62mm fired cases, 45 numbers of 5.56mm fired cases and one 2 inch mortar carrying case.
According to the report, several arms and ammunition were recovered during an operation conducted in the foothills of Dampi range, Bishnupur district.
The recovery include two modified 6 inch mortar tubes (country made Pompi), 11 live Pompi shells, one 7.62 mm SLR along with one magazine, one 9 mm pistol with empty magazine, two 12 bore single barrel guns, and two 36 HE hand grenades without detonator.
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