Imphal, 27 February (HS): The Meetei armed youth group, Arambai Tengol, laid down a substantial cache of illegal weapons on Thursday, responding to an appeal from the Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

The surrender event unfolded at the 1st Manipur Rifles (MR) ground, where members of the group, joined by women supporters, arrived in large numbers.

With heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces, security was intensified to prevent any untoward incidents during the handover.

Officials are yet to disclose the exact number of surrendered weapons.

Earlier, Manipur Chief Secretary Prakash Kumar Singh had issued a stern warning, urging all individuals possessing unauthorised firearms to surrender them. He ruled out any extension of the deadline, asserting that a week was sufficient for compliance.

The return of looted weapons is a critical step toward restoring peace, Singh had stated last Wednesday during an event in Imphal East. He also warned of imminent operations to seize arms if they were not surrendered voluntarily.

The state government remains firm in its stance against illegal arms, with further crackdowns expected to ensure lasting stability in Manipur.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash