Imphal, Oct 24 (IANS): Security forces in Manipur recovered 19 looted sophisticated arms and a large quantity of ammunition and other explosive materials during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

Police said that the combined security forces during their ongoing operation recovered the arms and ammunition from Kangpokpi, Bishnupur, Kakching and Churachandpur districts.

The recovered arms included AK series and self-loading rifles as well as 15 tear gas shells, 43 hand grenades, huge quantities of explosives, and country made weapons.

According to police, a total of 5,669 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of rounds of different kinds of ammunition were looted by different organisations, mobs and individuals after ethnic riots broke out in Manipur on May 3. So far, the security forces comprising central and state recovered around one fourth of the looted arms and ammunition from different districts.

On September 22, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, while informing that all illegal weapons held by any persons or groups across Manipur should be surrendered within 15 days, had warned of taking legal action and launching search operations to recover them.