Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: A CRPF Sub-Inspector sustained a bullet injury to his left foot Monday morning after violence flared in Manipur's Senapati district. Pradeep Singh, serving with the 36th Battalion, was caught in an exchange of fire at 10 am in the Taphou area. He was moved to Senapati Hospital for treatment.
Trouble began earlier that morning. Unidentified armed individuals torched two houses around 4:30 am in a border cluster near the 9 Manipur Rifles battalion headquarters. One home belonged to a Kuki family, while the other belonged to a Poumai Naga resident. While no immediate casualties occurred during the arson, the situation quickly devolved into stone-pelting and gunfire.
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority condemned the destruction. They labeled the event as "highly deplorable, inhuman and unacceptable" in a statement. The authority issued a 24-hour ultimatum for those responsible to settle the matter under Kuki customary law. Failure to comply, they warned, would release the authority from responsibility for any subsequent untoward incidents.
Tension triggered a blockade on National Highway-2, linking Imphal to Dimapur. Protesters obstructed the road near the Senapati headquarters using burning tires and debris. Fearing retaliatory attacks, some residents fled their homes with their belongings. Locals also claimed armed Kuki groups attacked a nearby Liangmai Naga village, though this report remains unverified.
Security forces flooded the zone. Assam Rifles personnel, state police commandos, and additional detachments established patrols and flag marches to contain the unrest. This outbreak follows a long string of regional violence. In May, four people died in Noney and Kangpokpi during twin ambushes. The National Investigation Agency continues to probe the deaths of six Naga men found near Kharam Vaiphei village last year.
Updated at 24th August 2026 at 5:49pm
The chaos in Senapati took place on Monday, August 24. While local authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the arson, residents are seeking help as they abandon their homes. District officials and community leaders are now pleading for restraint to keep the situation from spiraling further.
Violence also jumped to Ukhrul district the same night. Suspected militants opened fire on the Tangkhul Naga village of Sinakeithei around 12:10 am. Gunmen hiding near the local cemetery at Leplen Nepali Basti pumped six to seven rounds toward the village. No one was hurt, but locals are rattled by the recent withdrawal of the Maha Regiment from the area. The village now relies on a mix of BSF, Manipur Rifles, and civil police, but villagers say the security swap has left them exposed.
Updated at 24th August 2026 at 9:52pm
The shots fired near the local cemetery at Leplen originated roughly 270 metres from the village residential area. Villagers now report that the intimidation continues despite the presence of 131 Battalion BSF personnel and civil police stationed alongside the Manipur Rifles.
Local representatives have formally requested state and central authorities launch a transparent inquiry into the source of the gunfire. They are also demanding beefed up patrols to shield farmers and secure vulnerable zones surrounding the settlement, which sits adjacent to Kuki-inhabited areas.
Updated at 25th August 2026 at 1:49am
Despite the morning unrest, state officials confirmed that transport services on the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati route pushed forward for the third consecutive day. A convoy of five buses and seven Winger vehicles carrying over 250 passengers left Imphal for Assam at 1 pm. While the departure faced a brief delay due to the Taphou incident, government intervention secured the route, and both sides involved in the dispute reportedly agreed to maintain peace.
Separately, a group of 90 passengers arrived safely at the ISBT Bus Terminus in Imphal from Guwahati on four buses at 4 pm. Passengers credited both Naga and Kuki communities for ensuring safe passage along the highway. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly welcomed the transit resumption, calling the restored connectivity a significant development for the region.
Updated at 25th August 2026 at 9:47am
Security forces hammered back against rising militant activity on Monday, sweeping through valley and border districts to recover a massive stash of weapons. During operations in Imphal East, Thoubal, and Tengnoupal, commandos and Assam Rifles units seized a 7.62 mm SLR, an INSAS rifle, a 9 mm pistol, a Pompi gun, several single-barrel weapons, and a cache of grenades and mortar shells. They also grabbed protective gear, including bulletproof plates and helmets.
Police nabbed four suspects in connection with these underground networks. In Thoubal, officers picked up Buyamayum Ayub Khan, an alleged KCP-PWG extortionist. Near the Moreh border, forces collared Chongtham Lukhoi, a man police identify as a captain for the banned KYKL. In a separate push at Sangakpham Bazar, troops arrested Laishram Manglemba Meitei, a member of the KCP-Meeyamgi Fheenganag Lanmee faction.
Separately, a patrol team hit an IED ambush early Sunday near the Indo-Myanmar border. The blast struck between Yangoupokpi and Charingphei villages around 4 am. Security forces returned fire as the attackers slipped into the thick brush. The injured personnel received medical aid and were hauled to a military facility for treatment. The military has since surged troops into the area to hunt for the attackers.
Updated at 25th August 2026 at 2:01pm
Kuki organizations are pointing fingers at NSCN-IM cadres and members of the Liangmei community for the violence in Leplen and Taphou. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and the Ihang-Bungpi Working Committee allege the attacks were retaliation for state efforts to clear an illegal checkpoint at Namdilong. CoTU claimed these provocations aim to derail recent peace initiatives and disrupt civilian life.
These groups also blasted the security strategy in the hills, labeling the withdrawal of troops from Leplen shortly before the attack a massive failure. They claim the state is maintaining selective protection, leaving Kuki settlements like Leplen and Songmun exposed while keeping heavy deployments in areas like Seneikethil. CoTU accused authorities of violating the constitutional right to life through this unequal protection.
Beyond security demands, the organizations want legal action against leadership within the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Sadar Hills District Sports Association (SDSA), alleging these individuals are actively stoking regional tensions. CoTU also reported that security forces harassed women and elderly residents during an operation at J. Songtun early Monday, and urged the government to ensure all future patrols are conducted impartially.
Updated at 25th August 2026 at 5:49pm
New details show the arson campaign began earlier than previously reported, with the first fire at Taphou Kuki igniting at 2:40 am. Firefighters arrived by 3:30 am, but locals actively blocked their efforts. Beyond the two homes initially identified, officials confirmed a house in Lai village was demolished and another in Phuba village was set ablaze.
The CRPF officer injured in the 10 am firefight, 54-year-old Sub-Inspector Pradeep Singh, later told investigators he could not pinpoint the shooters because gunfire was erupting from both sides simultaneously. During the chaos, a separate round of shooting broke out at 9:20 am, forcing journalists covering the scene to take cover while recording the damage.
By Tuesday morning, CRPF CoBRA units and district police ramped up the pressure with house-to-house searches across Taphou Kuki and Taphou Liangmai. Female officers cleared the interiors while male units held the perimeter. Residents allowed the searches without resistance, and officers reported no arrests or detentions during the sweep.
Official reports also clarified that the highway disruption involved Naga volunteers who specifically targeted the road with burning debris. While travel resumed, officials confirmed the safety of the route relied on newly deployed Road Opening Parties tasked with guarding vulnerable stretches for the 250 passengers currently transiting between Imphal and Assam.
Updated at 26th August 2026 at 1:50am
Security forces escalated their Tuesday sweep in Senapati, shifting from observation to active demolition. A joint task force of Manipur Police, CoBRA units, and Mahila Battalion personnel leveled three bunkers in the sector, tearing down two in Taphou Kuki and one in Taphou Liangmai.
The operation yielded a haul of hardware that suggests ongoing preparations for armed conflict. Officers seized two single-barrel guns, 78 rounds of 12-bore live ammunition, and 11 empty 12-bore casings. The sweep also turned up spent AK-47 and .22 caliber shells, a cartridge belt, a charger set, five vehicle registration plates, and a discarded steel military ammunition container.
Updated at 26th August 2026 at 9:46am
State police confirmed the haul will undergo full forensic and ballistic analysis to link the gear to the recent gunfights. The investigation aims to determine the origin of the military-grade ammunition and the ownership of the vehicle plates recovered during the operation.
Updated at 26th August 2026 at 1:48pm
State police expanded their dragnet against underground factions on August 25, arresting six suspected members of the banned United People's Party of Kangleipak across Bishnupur, Imphal East, and Imphal West. Among the detained was 51-year-old P. Koireng Singh, who doubled as a state Forest Department gardener. Officers seized 23 UPPK letterheads from the group, which they allege was running an extortion and kidnapping racket.
Separately, police and Assam Rifles teams hunted down insurgents in the Imphal Valley and near the border. They collared 46-year-old Lourembam Subhaschandra in Imphal West and grabbed PREPAK cadre Lemba Mutum near Border Pillar 72 in Chandel. That operation netted an INSAS rifle, four magazines, and 60 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.
Updated at 27th August 2026 at 1:49am
Security dragnets widened across the state as police and Assam Rifles teams chased down insurgent networks from August 25 to 26. In the Imphal Valley, officers pinched an active RPF/PLA cadre, Ningombam Punshiba Singh, near Langathel. Another KCP (PWG) member, Sanglenmayum Sanjit Singh, was cuffed near a Thoubal Bazaar auto stand. Bishnupur police also collared Samom Michael Singh, an extortionist with ties to the KCP (PWG).
Operations stretched into the borderlands as well. Troops hauled in a Socialist Revolutionary Party cadre, Laihaorungbam Sanatomba Singh, during a raid in Imphal West. Meanwhile, the 5 Assam Rifles nabbed a United Kuki National Army sergeant major, Satngam Doungel, near Churachandpur, seizing a Beretta pistol and ammo. In a separate push, police recovered 111 stolen mobile phones in the same district, urging the public to keep better tabs on their device IMEI numbers to prevent future theft.
The crackdown yielded a heavy pile of hardware. A joint team on the Phayeng Apun Lok riverbank seized a carbine machine gun, a modified .303 rifle, seven pistols, and two grenades. Near Maovom village, soldiers dug up an MP-09 submachine gun, a rocket, a locally made mortar, and land mines. These finds, alongside the ongoing investigations into arrested UPPK cadres and their seized letterheads, point to a coordinated effort to dismantle underground extortion and arms trafficking rings.
Updated at 27th August 2026 at 9:46am
Security forces pivoted toward the narcotics trade on August 26, hauling in two suspects and seizing more than 2.7 kilograms of suspected brown sugar. A task force of police and CRPF units intercepted Paocha Kipgen, 32, at Khoiren Tampak in Kangpokpi, recovering 2.35 kilograms of the drug along with his diesel auto.
Another team, backed by the 16 Assam Rifles, stopped 23-year-old Muhammad Safiqur Rahaman at the T Khullen Naka check post in Senapati. Officers pulled 27 soap cases containing roughly 360 grams of brown sugar from his Omni vehicle, marking a significant strike against the flow of contraband through the hill districts.
Updated at 27th August 2026 at 9:54pm
The crackdown on insurgent networks deepened as security forces apprehended additional suspects linked to the RPF/PLA. On August 26, Imphal East commandos tracked down 28-year-old Ningthoujam Joyshana in Kongba Laishram Leikai. This follows another arrest in Ngaikhong Khunou, where officers nabbed 30-year-old Ningthoujam Samson Singh, an alleged extortionist operating for the same outfit.
Authorities also bolstered the haul of recovered weapons. Beyond previous seizures, a raid along the Phayeng Apun Lok riverbank netted five single-barrel guns and one double-barrel shotgun. Operations in the Nepali Basti area near Maovom village further turned up a functional rocket, a mortar bomb, four detonators, and an improvised fragmentation mine. Officials are currently holding all suspects for interrogation as the investigation into these militant pipelines continues.
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