IMPHAL, July 14: Ethnic insurgent groups from both the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur have reportedly modified looted firearms to create improvised sniper rifles, enhancing the weapons’ range and lethality, senior officials confirmed on Sunday.
During the 2023 unrest in the state, over 6,000 weapons were stolen from police armouries. Among these looted firearms were .303 rifles, AK-series assault rifles, INSAS rifles, and carbines. Security sources now reveal that standard .303 rifles, which have a kill range of around 500 metres, are being refitted with telescopic sights and modified butts and components to increase their precision and effectiveness over long distances.
These enhancements are intended to transform the standard weapons into sniper rifles capable of targeting individuals or groups from significant distances, thereby escalating the potential for high-impact violence.
The AK-47 rifles, typically effective within a 300–400 metre range, are also being altered in similar fashion in some instances, making them more dangerous in close-quarter and long-range combat scenarios.
Officials from security forces, including the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, CRPF, and BSF, have confirmed the recovery of several of these modified firearms during operations across the Imphal Valley and hill districts. These recoveries may have averted a serious spike in sniper-style attacks between rival ethnic groups.
In June 2025, Manipur Police and allied security agencies carried out coordinated raids across five districts in the Imphal Valley, seizing 328 weapons—primarily from Meitei-dominated insurgent factions. Further raids in the first week of July in four hill districts, where Kuki groups hold more influence, led to the recovery of 203 additional firearms.
The assortment of arms recovered from these two high-stakes operations includes INSAS rifles, AK series rifles, Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), modified sniper rifles, grenade launchers, pistols, and even country-made .22 rifles.
