At least 80 per cent of the arms, which were looted from the Ukhrul police station in Manipur by a mob amid Wednesday’s gunfight between residents of two villages, were handed over to police on Saturday afternoon.

Four people, including three villagers and a member of the Manipur Rifles on duty, were killed in the gunfught over a decade-old boundary dispute between residents of Hunphun and Hungphung villages under the Ukhrul police station.

The incident prompted the administration to impose curfew in Naga-majority Ukhrul district and suspend Internet services.

An official said that of the 20 arms that were looted along with other ammunition on Wednesday, 80 per cent were handed over at the Ukhrul police station on Saturday in the presence of social workers, village representatives, an inspector-general of police, a deputy inspector-general of police, two superintendents of police and the Ukhrul deputy commissioner, among others. The handing-over exercise lasted for around an hour.

Sources said inspector-general of police (operations) I.K. Muivah played a key role in the recovery of weapons along with civil society organisations. Search operations will continue for the recovery of the remaining weapons, they said.

The effort got a further boost on Friday with the visit of transport minister Khashim Vashum, who met and sought the support of civil society organisations from Hunphun village to ensure the return of the arms and ammunition.

The arms loot had added to security concerns as there was extensive use of guns by the warring villages on Wednesday.

The security establishment in Manipur is already grappling with how to expedite the recovery of arms and ammunition looted from police armouries on at least four occasions in Meitei-majority Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo majority hill districts during the ongoing ethnic conflict that has left at least 237 dead and over 60,000 displaced since May 3, 2023.

Manipur security adviser Kuldiep Singh had said in September that security forces could recover only about 1,200 of the around 6,000 arms looted from armouries.

The United Naga Council, the apex body of the Naga people in Manipur, on Friday appealed to Hunphun and Hungpung residents for peace and pave the way for dialogue.

An Ukhrul resident said things are “improving and stable” with the intervention of civil society organisations and village leaders.