Security forces in Manipur have recovered a 9-foot-long country-made rocket loaded with explosives and a detonator, weighing nearly 200 kilograms, during a search operation in Churachandpur district, officials said on Tuesday.
The weapon was discovered between S. Lonphai and Tuikong villages under Churachandpur Police Station during an intelligence-based combing, cordon, and search operation aimed at tracking down individuals involved in extortion and other criminal activities in the region.
Police said several arrests were made during the operation, though details of those detained have not been disclosed. The recovery, they added, highlights the escalating security concerns in the conflict-hit hill districts of Manipur.
The find comes amid heightened tensions following a series of rocket and drone attacks allegedly carried out by Kuki militants in recent weeks. On Monday, a rocket-propelled bomb struck the residence of former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng Singh in Moirang town of Bishnupur district, killing an elderly man who was offering prayers and injuring five others, including a 13-year-old girl.
Officials said the discovery of such a large and improvised weapon indicates the increasing sophistication of militant groups operating in the area. Security forces have intensified surveillance and search operations in sensitive zones across Churachandpur, Bishnupur, and Kakching districts following the attacks.
The Manipur Police and central paramilitary units are jointly conducting follow-up operations to trace the origin of the recovered rocket and prevent further escalation of violence.
