Manipur: Security forces launch major operation against PLA, 15 arrested

The main accused, Thongram Sadanand Singh alias Purkapa (18-year-old) and Khondram Ojit Singh alias Keylal (47-year-old), were arrested within 72 hours of the Nambol incident.

Imphal: Security forces have launched a major operation against the People's Liberation Army (PLA), a banned group based in the Manipur Valley.

Fifteen members of the group were arrested for their involvement in last month's attack on an Assam Rifles convoy, which claimed the lives of two soldiers.

The main accused, Thongram Sadanand Singh alias Purkapa (18-year-old) and Khondram Ojit Singh alias Keylal (47-year-old), were arrested within 72 hours of the Nambol incident. Security agencies are also investigating whether the PLA is operating under political patronage.

This investigation comes at a time when another major militant group, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), recently declared a ceasefire and agreed to join the Operation Suspension Agreement previously signed by 24 Kuki militant groups with the Union Home Ministry.

Official said

Official sources said some groups are trying to undermine President's rule, which has proven helpful in curbing serious ethnic violence in the state. These groups are propagating that the current administration has failed and the suspended assembly should be immediately reinstated.

An Assam Rifles convoy was attacked on September 19 in Nambol Sabal Leikei, where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is not in force and the CRPF usually provides road security.

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Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap were killed in the attack. This was the first attack on central security forces in Manipur since violence broke out between the Kuki-Jo and Meitei communities in May 2023.

Investigations revealed

Investigations revealed that six of the recovered weapons were looted from police armories during previous ethnic clashes, suggesting that these weapons are now falling into the hands of militant groups. A van used in the Nambol attack was also recovered from Mutum Yangbi, about 12 kilometers from the site of the attack.

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UNLF member Thongram Sadanand Singh had recently joined the PLA after his group surrendered. However, the PLA did not claim responsibility for the Nambol attack. However, the militant group has consistently claimed responsibility for all its attacks in the past.

Intelligence agencies suspect that the attack may have been politically motivated, aimed at worsening the state's fragile situation, defaming President's rule, or preventing the reestablishment of a popular government. Following the attack, a high-level meeting chaired by Governor Ajay Bhalla directed all security agencies to quickly apprehend the attackers and increase security on key routes.