Electric poles uprooted and GI pipes made into weapons in the hills of Manipur

Guns fabricated from parts of uprooted electric poles or galvanized iron (GI) pipes formed a major chunk of arms seized by security forces during search operations to recover weapons looted from police armouries in Manipur, officials said.

Besides these guns, the arsenal of the warring group from the hills has other regular weapons like AK rifles and INSAS rifles, they said.

Officials in this town located in Kakching district in southern Manipur said on the condition of anonymity that the people of this hill community are traditionally hunters and have the ability to improvise and make deadly weapons.

Recently, in remote villages here as well as in neighbouring Churachandpur district, some electric poles were seen missing and water pipes uprooted.

These were enough indication that they have been used in making of arms that are used to fire at the other community during the clash, the officials said.