NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the recent attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Nambol, Manipur, may have been a politically motivated “contract killing.” According to officials cited by PTI, the assault could be part of efforts to destabilize the state’s fragile situation and undermine the current President’s rule, which has been essential in reducing severe ethnic violence in the area. Authorities believe that certain vested interests are advocating for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended state assembly, suggesting the current administration is ineffective.
The attack, which occurred during a convoy operation on September 19, resulted in the deaths of two Assam Rifles personnel. In an unusual turn of events, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a banned insurgent group based in the valley, did not claim responsibility for the attack, marking a departure from its 48-year tradition. Sources indicate that the leadership of the PLA may not have been aware of, or may not have authorized, the operation.
Following the incident, security forces conducted a significant crackdown, leading to the arrest of 15 PLA members, including key suspects Thoungram Sadananda Singh alias Purakpa (18) and Khomdram Ojit Singh alias Keilal (47) within 72 hours. Authorities recovered six firearms believed to have been stolen from a police armory during prior ethnic clashes, along with a vehicle thought to have been used in the ambush.
The Nambol attack represents the first assault on central forces since ethnic clashes erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023. The fatalities included Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap, who were targeted while traveling from Patsoi to the Nambol base.
Officials are also investigating potential political support for the PLA, especially following a recent announcement from the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) regarding a ceasefire and its agreement to join the Union Home Ministry’s Suspension of Operations (SoO) initiative. Analysts caution that disgruntled members of militant groups like the PLA, UNLF, Kangleipak Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) could exploit the ceasefire to target civilians.
Thoungram Sadananda Singh had a previous affiliation with the UNLF before switching to the PLA. Founded initially as ‘Polei,’ the PLA seeks the independence of Manipur and the establishment of a separate Meitei homeland in the Imphal Valley. Numerous other insurgent groups, including KYKL, PREPAK, and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), maintain a substantial presence in the valley and along the India-Myanmar border.
Manipur has been plagued by ongoing ethnic tensions since May 2023, resulting in over 260 fatalities and displacing nearly 50,000 individuals, driven primarily by conflicts over land rights and political representation.
