UKLF warns Manipur police after raid in leader’s home in Chandel

Imphal, Oct 3: Imphal, Oct 3 (PTI): Tensions flared in Manipur’s Chandel district after the United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF), a Kuki militant outfit under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, issued a warning to Manipur Police following a recent raid on the residence of one of its leaders.

In a statement released on Friday, the UKLF condemned what it called a “late-night raid” conducted on Wednesday at Sajik Tampak by Chandel Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Kumar and his team. The outfit said the action was “serious in nature” and cautioned that it would not remain a “mute spectator” if such operations continued.

The group maintained that it had been abiding by the terms of the SoO agreement, under which several Kuki militant groups had agreed to suspend hostilities while pursuing a “political solution” for the Kuki-Zo people. The outfit claimed the raid violated the ground rules of the pact.

However, Manipur Police offered a different account of the incident. According to their statement, the operation was not targeted at UKLF but was part of a mission to apprehend a suspected drug kingpin in T Kotlen village of Sajik Tampak.

“On Wednesday, acting on credible intelligence, Chandel District Police conducted an operation in Sajik Tampak to arrest a suspected drug kingpin. However, the suspect managed to escape,” the police statement said.

The police further claimed that as the team was returning from the operation, they were attacked by a mob. The situation was later defused peacefully after dialogue with local leaders, with the assistance of the Assam Rifles and other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), ensuring the police team’s safe return.

The incident has highlighted once again the fragile balance between militant groups under SoO and state security forces in Manipur. While the police continue to focus on anti-narcotics operations in the state’s border districts, groups like the UKLF have accused authorities of overstepping the boundaries of the peace agreements.

PTI