Imphal, October 6: Intelligence agencies suspect that the September 19 ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in Nambol, Manipur, may have been a politically motivated “contract killing” aimed at destabilising the fragile law and order situation and undermining President’s Rule in the state.
According to officials, certain vested interests could be attempting to project President’s Rule as ineffective in order to push for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended state assembly.
The ambush, which killed two Assam Rifles personnel—Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap—was notable because the banned valley-based insurgent group People’s Liberation Army (PLA) did not claim responsibility, breaking with its 48-year tradition of publicly owning its attacks. Intelligence inputs suggest the PLA leadership may not have sanctioned or even been aware of the strike.
In a swift crackdown, security forces arrested 15 PLA members, including two prime suspects—Thoungram Sadananda Singh alias Purakpa (18) and Khomdram Ojit Singh alias Keilal (47)—within 72 hours of the incident. Authorities also recovered six weapons believed to have been looted from a police armoury during earlier ethnic clashes, as well as a van suspected to have been used in the ambush.
The attack occurred at Sabal Leikai in Nambol, an area not under the purview of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), where road security falls under the CRPF. This was the first attack on central forces since ethnic clashes broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023.
Officials are also investigating possible political backing for the PLA, especially in the wake of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) announcing a ceasefire and entering the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Union Home Ministry. Analysts warn that disgruntled members of groups such as PLA, UNLF, KYKL, and PREPAK could exploit the ceasefire environment to regroup and mount fresh attacks.
Notably, Thoungram Sadananda Singh was formerly associated with the UNLF before joining the PLA. The PLA—originally known as Polei—seeks Manipur’s independence and the creation of a separate Meitei homeland in the Imphal Valley. Other valley-based outfits such as KYKL, PREPAK, and KCP also maintain significant presence across the state and along the India-Myanmar border.
Manipur has remained volatile since May 2023, when ethnic violence erupted over land rights and political representation. The clashes have so far claimed over 260 lives and displaced nearly 50,000 people, deepening the state’s socio-political crisis.
