New Delhi: Security agencies in Manipur have alerted the Centre on Saturday after at least 150 cadres went unaccounted for at a designated Kuki camp in Kangpokpi district. Security forces arrested 17 people whose identities did not match official records and seized 24 firearms during an operation at Mt Sinai camp in Saimol village.
The joint operation involved Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and other security personnel. According to the Hindustan Times, the operation lasted around 90 hours and ended on Friday.
Manipur Police said in a post on X on Saturday, that the arrested men were allegedly posing as registered cadres under the “Suspension of Operations” (SoO) arrangement. Eight claimed links to the Kuki National Army (KNA), while nine claimed links to the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), both associated with the Kuki National Organization (KNO).
Police said the accused had been remanded to eight days of custody until October 31. According to reports, a senior security official said that investigators were verifying their identities, including whether any of them were from Myanmar.
The investigation is examining possible impersonation, unauthorized possession of weapons and violations of SoO ground rules. Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Arms Act, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act and the Explosive Substances Act.
According to officials quoted by the Hindustan Times, the seized weapons included 13 AK-series rifles, three G3 rifles, two M16 rifles, one M15 rifle, one self-loading rifle and two lathodes. Security forces also recovered 1,061 rounds of 7.62×39 mm ammunition, 2,350 rounds of 5.56 mm INSAS ammunition and 223 rounds of 7.62×51 mm ammunition.
The seizure also included 34 magazines, 19 wireless sets and other equipment. Manipur Police separately reported the recovery of firearms, ammunition, explosives and communication equipment.
The camp inspection began on October 20, a day after three Meitei woodcutters were killed in an ambush near the Imphal East-Kangpokpi border on October 19. Security forces had given SoO groups 48 hours to return to their designated camps, with the deadline expiring on October 23.
The 17 men were disarmed and arrested, while the only authorized cadre found at the camp was moved to a nearby designated camp. The available reports have not established a direct link between the arrested men and the killings of the three civilians.
Lieutenant General Konsam Himalaya Singh (retired) told the Hindustan Times that the missing cadres should be traced promptly. He said their continued absence raised concerns about compliance with the SoO ground rules and questioned how unauthorized individuals could access weapons stored at the camp.
The Manipur home minister, Govindas Konthoujam, said the Centre had not renewed the SoO agreement, which expired on September 4 this year. Signed on August 22, 2008, the agreement covers 25 armed outfits represented by the KNO and the United People’s Front (UPF), with 14 designated camps.
The agreement restricts cadres to designated camps and prohibits them from conducting operations against security forces or civilians. The government is expected to inspect other designated camps as well.
Aaron Kipgen, spokesman for the UPF, criticized the operation and accused the government of targeting Kuki-Zo groups to appease other communities. He described the action at Mt Sinai camp as unprecedented and said the KNO and UPF would hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.
Investigators are continuing to verify the identities of the arrested men and trace the missing cadres.