People from all communities have started surrendering looted and illegally held weapons in Manipur. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla requested them to do so within seven days. Anyone with illegal and looted weapons who miss the deadline will face strict action. An estimated 6,000 firearms were looted from police stations and armouries across Manipur after ethnic clashes broke out on May 3, 2023. Kuki and Meitei civil society organisations have been asking the Centre to ensure simultaneous disarmament due to the severe loss of trust between the two sides. Both sides accuse each other of attacking villages in the foothills, where the valley and the hills meet. Many of the armed individuals call their armed individuals \”volunteers\”, a similar feature is the weapons they use – AK and M series assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, crude and military grade mortars, high-end sniper rifles, surveillance drones, etc. The United National Liberation Front (Pambei), or UNF, and the United People’s Organisation (Kuki) have signed a SoO agreement with the Centre and the state.
