Imphal: Security forces shuttered the Battalion 294 camp of the Pambei-led United National Liberation Front in Phayeng on Wednesday. This move follows the relocation of the group's Nongsum camp one day earlier. Officials confirmed that the militants moved to a designated site while the 10th Indian Reserve Battalion and the 5th Manipur Rifles took over guard duties at the location.
The Phayeng outpost went up in 2023 when ethnic fighting ripped through Manipur. The area became a flashpoint for bloody skirmishes between militants from Kangpokpi district and local groups, leaving bodies on both sides of the line. The camp acted as a primary defense post for the community throughout the conflict.
Residents are not happy about the withdrawal. Many locals felt safer with the fighters present. They now want the government to prove that state security forces can hold the line. One resident said the camp "had given them a greater sense of security amid the continuing unrest in the state."
The Pambei-led UNLF remains under a peace deal signed with the Indian government last year. Under that pact, the group maintains operations from specific, sanctioned camps.
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