IMPHAL: Assault rifles like the M16, M18 and M4A1 Carbine have found entry into the Manipur ethnic conflict—these are advanced weapons that were not pilfered from government arsenals—posing new challenges for security forces, top officials told The Indian Express.
About 30% of the weapons found by security forces since the conflict began are of this type, the officials said.
A senior security official said that around 6,000 weapons were reportedly stolen from the state armories since the fighting broke out in May of last year.
Most of the 2,600 seized by the security forces and police - in which mostly border areas between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi regions were involved - had been taken away from armories.
The officer cleared that of the arms recovered 800 were manufactured weapons received from other sources while the remaining 600 was crude weapons in-house manufactures
A senior official explained that both sides, militant groups had increased supply of weapons In addition to their conventional weapons, the Meiteis have stockpiled in armories, they have quality automatic and long range arms with insurgent groups in valley.
The Kukis also possess those modern arms due to which SoO groups- militant groups with whom the Central as well as state governments have agreements.
Another challenge for the security forces is that improvised weapons are becoming deadlier day by day with the gradual flow of time in this conflict.
Recently, rocket attacks with a range of 5 kilometers hit Moirang town, which so far had been out of harm's way. One of them hit the home of Manipur's first chief minister, the late M. Koireng Singh, on September 6, killing a priest.
Officials indicated that the closest location from where the 'rockets' might have been fired is Churachandpur district.
A police officer explained that the Kukis have developed homemade bombs popularly called 'pumpis,' which are nothing but mortars. They are actually barrels where whatever material one likes is put.
Add a propellant at the bottom and stick a light into it, and these devices can be made with easily available material. Easy enough to make a basic bomb, but getting a range of 5 kilometers is no easy feat.
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