Manipur ambush: Intel hints at ‘contract killing’ to undermine President’s rule

NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies fishy that past month’s onslaught connected an Assam Rifles convoy successful Nambol, Manipur, whitethorn person been a politically motivated “contract killing.” Officials, quoted by PTI, accidental it could person been aimed astatine destabilising the state’s fragile situation, undermining President’s rule.Officials alleged that definite vested interests could beryllium seeking to weaken President’s rule, which has helped curb terrible taste unit successful the state. According to them, these groups are promoting the presumption that the contiguous medication is ineffective and pushing for the contiguous reinstatement of the suspended authorities assembly. The attack, which killed 2 Assam Rifles unit connected September 19, was antithetic arsenic the PLA, a banned valley-based insurgent group, did not assertion responsibility—breaking its 48-year contented of owning operations.

PTI Sources bespeak the PLA enactment whitethorn person been unaware of oregon had not sanctioned the assault. In a large crackdown pursuing the attack, information forces arrested 15 PLA members, including cardinal suspects Thoungram Sadananda Singh alias Purakpa (18) and Khomdram Ojit Singh alias Keilal (47), wrong 72 hours of the incident. Authorities recovered six weapons apt stolen from a constabulary armoury during earlier taste clashes and a van believed to person been utilized successful the ambush.

The Nambol attack, carried retired successful Sabal Leikai wherever the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is not successful force, marked the archetypal battle connected cardinal forces since the outbreak of taste clashes betwixt Meiteis and Kuki-Zos successful May 2023. Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap were killed erstwhile their conveyance was attacked en way from Patsoi to the Nambol base. Officials are besides probing imaginable governmental enactment for the PLA, peculiarly pursuing the UNLF’s caller announcement to cease hostilities and articulation the Union Home Ministry’s Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.

Analysts pass that disaffected members of PLA, UNLF, KYKL, and PREPAK could exploit the ceasefire to people civilians. Thoungram Sadananda Singh had antecedently been with the UNLF earlier transferring to the PLA. The PLA, primitively known arsenic ‘Polei’, seeks Manipur’s independency and a abstracted Meitei homeland successful the Imphal Valley. Other insurgent groups, including KYKL, PREPAK, and KCP, support important beingness successful the vale and on the India-Myanmar border. Manipur has witnessed sustained taste tensions since May 2023, resulting successful implicit 260 deaths and astir 50,000 displaced, driven by disputes implicit onshore rights and governmental representation.