104 Weapons Surrendered Across Six Manipur Districts Amid Peace Efforts

Imphal, February 26, 2025 – In a significant move towards bringing peace back to troubled Manipur, citizens from six districts have surrendered 104 firearms voluntarily, in response to an appeal made by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. The action is part of the government’s initiative to end violence and disarm factions in the state.

Weapons Surrendered

The surrendered arms include:
✅ AK-series rifles
✅ Sub-machine guns
✅ Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL)
✅ Various ammunition and explosives

Authorities have confirmed that the weapons were deposited in response to a seven-day deadline issued by the Governor, urging individuals to hand over illegally possessed arms.

Districts Involved

The weapons were surrendered from the following six districts:
📍 Kangpokpi
📍 Imphal East
📍 Bishnupur
📍 Thoubal
📍 Imphal West
📍 Kakching

The decision has been made by officials that the action will help ease tensions and avert further violence in the state, which has been hit by ethnic clashes and insurgency-related violence.

A Step Towards Stability

The laying down of arms is viewed as a positive move towards de-escalation in Manipur. Security personnel and government officials are implementing confidence-building measures so that communities hit by the trouble can gradually return to normalcy.

Although this operation has been a success, authorities still appeal to other groups and individuals armed with weapons to surrender and drop their weapons, with an assurance of leniency under the law and rehabilitation assistance to those who will cooperate.

Additional security actions are in the works to make sure that illicit arms do not get back into circulation, and there is ongoing effort to consolidate law enforcement in susceptible locations.