AFSPA reimposed in Manipur’s 6 police station areas

PTI New Delhi/Imphal: The Centre on Thursday reimposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur’s six police station areas, including the violence-hit Jiribam, with the Union home ministry asserting that the decision was taken given the “continuous volatile situation” there due to the ongoing ethnic violence. The Central government notification on the reimposition of AFSPA came the same day the Manipur police announced the seizure of a cache of arms and ammunition from Manipur’s Jiribam and Churachandpur districts.

During cordon and search operations in Champanagar, Narayanpur and Thangboipunjre areas of Jiribam district on Wednesday, one 2-inch mortar, thirty-six live barrel cartridges and five empty barrel cartridges were seized, a police statement said. The police statement also said that one .303 rifle, one 9mm pistol, two shortrange locally made cannon, two long-range locally made cannon, five AK 47 live rounds, two 9mm live rounds, four 12-bore cart cases, and eighteen .303 rifle modified live rounds were also seized from H Kotlian village in Churachandpur district. An area or district is notified as “disturbed” under AFSPA to facilitate operations by the armed forces.