10 militants arrested in Manipur, senior UKNA commander among those nabbed

Imphal, Oct 4: In a series of coordinated operations, security forces in Manipur have arrested 10 militants belonging to various proscribed groups, officials confirmed on Saturday. The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in the violence-hit state.

Personnel of the Assam Rifles conducted a major operation in the jungles of Churachandpur district on October 1, codenamed Operation Songkot, resulting in the arrest of a “senior commander” of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA) along with five other militants.

“Assam Rifles in a daring jungle operation on October 1 apprehended senior commander SS Lt Jamkhogin Guite Lupho alias Pepsi of UKNA,” the paramilitary force said in a statement. The UKNA commander is alleged to have played a key role in the killing of four members of the Meitei community, including a father and son, in Bishnupur district in January 2024.

Officials noted that the arrests dealt “a crippling setback to UKNA’s networks in Churachandpur and Jiribam,” reinforcing the Assam Rifles’ commitment to peace and security in the region.

In a separate series of raids on Friday, four more militants were apprehended from Thoubal and Imphal West districts. Police said two active cadres, including a woman, of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (Apunba) were arrested at Thoubal Wangkhem. In Imphal West, a self-styled corporal of the People’s Liberation Army was captured from Ningombam, while another operative linked to KCP (PWG) was nabbed from Naoremthong.

The arrests come at a time when Manipur continues to grapple with deep ethnic tensions. Since May 2023, violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kuki-Zo groups has claimed more than 260 lives and displaced thousands, worsening the security situation in the state.

Officials said that the arrested militants are being interrogated, and further operations are underway to dismantle insurgent networks across the state.

- PTI