Security Forces Seize Weapons in Manipur as Naga Groups Demand Accountability

Imphal: Security forces pulled a heavy haul of weapons from the Kangpokpi district this week. They found an Excalibur rifle, mortars, an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, and hundreds of live rounds. They also grabbed a radio handset. The search operations aim to box in armed groups and clear illegal guns from the area.

Naga civil society groups remain furious. The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee and the Naga People’s Organisation slammed a joint operation by the CRPF and Assam Rifles. They claim soldiers surrounded nearly 100 Kuki militants near Leilon Vaiphei but let them walk free instead of locking them up.

The operation was meant to hunt suspects linked to the kidnapping of 18 Naga civilians and the murder of six others. The committee argued that political pressure forced the military to shift from a raid to a negotiation. The FNCC claimed that the operation, "which was initially aimed at making arrests, eventually turned into a negotiated surrender process."

Groups believe KNF(P), UKNA, and KRA fighters moved to the Ebenezer Camp without facing charges. The NPO confirmed that the bodies of the six slain civilians are still at the JNIMS mortuary. Tensions are boiling over in the region. The NPO warned that if the state fails to deliver justice for the dead, they will launch heavy protests.