Armed men looted weapons and ammunition from a security post in Manipur on Saturday night, the first such incident this year, reflecting the fragile security in the strife-hit state despite a heavy deployment of central forces.

Sources told The Telegraph that the gunmen arrived in four to five vehicles at the security post in Yaripok Kakmayai of Thoubal district, some 22km from Imphal, and escaped with the looted arms. The police are yet to release a statement on the incident.

Security forces later apprehended one of the perpetrators and recovered some stolen arms, sources said, adding that the same post was unsuccessfully targeted last year.

Since the outbreak of ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and the Kukis on May 3, 2023, at least five instances of weapon looting from police armouries and stations have been reported across the state. The availability of arms, both looted and illegally-procured, has added to Manipur’s security challenges.

In September, Manipur security adviser Kuldiep Singh had said over 6,000 arms and over six lakh rounds of ammunition had been looted since the start of the conflict, with only 1,200 arms recoveredtill then.

The number of recovered arms has since gone up due to search operations but a large quantity is still in the hands of the public. The latest incident comes despite a major reshuffle involving the transfer of 70 senior officials, including 10 police officers.