In the continuous counter-insurgency campaigns, the combined central forces and state police arrested two (Kuki) tribal youths on the NH Imphal-Chrachandpur on Wednesday. Two pistols made in Italy and one Maruti Gypsy have been recovered from them, the police said.

The Joint state and central forces, acting on specific intelligence, carried out an operation at a place at Torbung Bangla on the Imphal-Churachandpur road at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday. On frisking and search operation, the two pistols with two magazines have been recovered from their unauthorized possession.

The tribal youths were later identified as Thanglam Hangsing, 28, and Kamin Sei, both residents of Gamnongphai village in Manipur’s Kangppokpi district. The arrested persons along with the seized articles and impounded vehicle white in color have been handed over to the Churachandpur District police station for legal proceedings, the police said.

The operations were conducted by the joint teams of the BSF, CRPF, Kumaon Regiment, and Manipur police from 6 a.m. onwards to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the police added.

The operations at the sensitive areas of the state intensified following the looting of over 6,000 arms from different government armories in the ongoing communal violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, between the tribals and non-tribals.