IMPHAL: A fresh incident of arms looting was reported from Manipur when a mob, comprising members of the majority Meitei community, broke into a police armoury and took away a number of weapons, including the AK and 'Ghatak' series of assault rifles, and over 19,000 bullets of different calibres, officials said.
The incident of weapons snatching reportedly took place at the 2nd India Reserve Battalion (IRB) headquarters located at Naranseina in Bishnupur district. It was reported earlier that a crowd had gathered there, in an apparent bid to march towards Churachandpur, where a mass burial has been planned by Kuki tribals, to carry out the last rites of their people killed since ethnic clashes that broke out in the state on May 3.
During the arms looting, an AK series assault rifle, three 'Ghaatak' rifles, 195 self-loading rifles, five MP-5 guns, 16 9mm pistols, 25 bulletproof jackets, 21 carbines, 124 hand grenades and more than 19,000 rounds of bullets of different calibers, among others, were looted by the mob, officials said.
The programme by the tribals, for mass burial of ‘martyrs,’ had created fresh tension among the warring communities in the strife-torn state, with the majority community opposing the move.
There were reports of at least 25 people being injured in clashes as the Army and RAF personnel resorted to firing tear gas shells in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas in Bishnupur district on Thursday. The forces attempted to stop processions of people making their way to the proposed burial site, in violation of the restrictions imposed on gatherings, officials said.
The people from the majority community had also made attempts to loot weapons two other armouries located in the state capital but the attempts were foiled by the police.
In an extraordinary hearing held on Thursday morning, the Manipur High Court had stayed the proposed mass burial. However, the Kuki community claimed that they had postponed the programme on their own after discussions with the Union home ministry.
It is reported that there have been deaths of more than 160 people, while several hundred were left injured in the violence, since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
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