Manipur police on Sunday recovered eight of the nine rifles looted by a group of “around 30 armed miscreants” from one of its outposts in Thoubal district on Saturday night.

The police also busted a hideout of a proscribed militant outfit, the Kangleipak Communist Party (People’s War Group), during the “relentless” search operations launched to recover the weapons.

The police on Sunday night said that the criminals armed with sophisticated weapons looted six SLRs and three AK-series rifles by “overpowering” the security personnel at the Kakmayai outpost, which is guarded by the Manipur Rifles and the India Reserve Battalion (IRB).

“However, the security personnel fought and could detain one of the miscreants, Hijam Ningthem Singh, 49, of Moirangpurel Mamang Leikai, who was later identified as a member of the KCP,” the police said.

After investigation and search operations on Sunday, the police managed to recover eight of the nine looted arms at Ngamukhong, the police said.