Guwahati: At least 140 weapons surrendered before police different places in violence-hit Manipur on Friday, just a day after Union home minister Amit Shah’s appeal.
On Thursday, Shah warned of strict action against those who fail to surrender their weapons and announced combing operations to retrieve arms in the state, which has been rocked by ethnic clashes.
As per sources, Manipur police displayed the arms and ammunition collected from various places in the state.
The surrendered weapons include SLR 29, Carbine, AK, INSAS Rifle, INSAS LMG, .303 Rifle, 9mm pistol, .32 pistol, M16 rifle, smoke gun and tear gas, locally made pistol, stun gun, modified rifle, JVP and a grenade launcher, Manipur police said.
Meanwhile, the curfew has been removed from five Manipur districts and relaxed in other areas as efforts are on to restore normalcy in the state.
Ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state on May 3 after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was organised in the state’s hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
More than 80 people have been killed in the violence, according to officials.
Sources said that as of Friday morning, 37,450 people are staying in 272 relief camps, including community halls.
Earlier, authorities confirmed that at least 2,000 weapons had been stolen by mobs from several government armouries since the violence first broke out on May 3, primarily between the Meitei and Kuki communities. Of which only 605 weapons have been recovered so far, with officials stating that the number could increase in the coming days.
