Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Federal agents nabbed a key suspect in a lethal bombing. The National Investigation Agency arrested S. Palal Thadou on Wednesday for his role in an April 7 IED attack in Manipur. The blast at a residential home in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai killed two minor children and left a third person badly wounded.
Suspected militants fired an explosive device from a hillside, striking the home. Responders also recovered an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade at the scene. The agency stated his arrest is the first in the case, aiming to reveal the broader plot. The NIA said, "The agency said further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other persons allegedly involved in the conspiracy and to establish the larger network behind the attack."
Moirang Police handled the initial filing before the NIA took over the case on April 23. They re-registered the file as RC-04/2026/NIA/IMP under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Thadou previously faced arrests by Churachandpur Police and Bishnupur Police for separate matters. A Special NIA Court in Imphal granted 10 days of police custody for the suspect as the hunt for his accomplices continues.
Updated at 13th August 2026 at 5:51pm
Police identify Thadou as the finance head of the banned United Kuki National Army. Investigators connected him to the outfit through digital forensics, interrogation, and human intelligence. Authorities claim his criminal footprint spans beyond the April attack, linking him to five other recent firing incidents in the region.
Records show he allegedly participated in a December 16, 2025, bomb blast in Tronglaobi and an attack at Molnom in early February 2026. He is also accused of orchestrating violence in the Kaprang area on July 4, timed to precede a visit by Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, alongside additional shootings in March and July of this year.
Updated at 13th August 2026 at 6:30pm
Records identify the suspect as S. Palal Kuki, who allegedly served as the finance head for the banned United Kuki National Army. Officers captured him on August 12, 2026, at a hideout in Old Gelmol village. The arrest followed a joint raid involving the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, the Indian Army, and the CRPF.
Additional evidence links Kuki to a March 25 firing incident during a recce operation and a separate attack near a CRPF camp in Bishnupur the following day. Beyond these, security forces seized an AK rifle, a 9mm pistol, ammunition, a Baofeng radio, and a motorcycle during an unrelated operation on August 12 that resulted in the capture of two other suspected UKNA cadres in Khengjang village.
Updated at 14th August 2026 at 9:45am
The victim of the April 7 bombing has been identified as five-year-old Oinam Binita, who died alongside her sibling when the blast struck their home. The United Kuki National Army remains outside the government suspension of operations agreement and investigators have flagged the group for an escalating series of armed clashes and civilian attacks.
Police reports indicate the suspect, who used the aliases S. Palal Thadou and S. Palal Kuki, was apprehended during a raid in Old Gelmol village. Beyond the April incident, officials tied him to a March 25 firing during a recce operation and a separate attack near a CRPF camp in Bishnupur the following day.
Updated at 14th August 2026 at 1:49pm
Security forces also detained two minors in Churachandpur on August 13 in connection with the Khengjang village raid. The involvement of these youths raises concerns about the recruitment tactics used by the United Kuki National Army.
A separate sweep by a multi-agency task force on August 12 in the Kangpokpi district resulted in the arrest of two local men, Henminthang Haokip and Jamminlal Kipgen. Authorities pulled a haul of guns from the area, including a .22 rifle, five single-barrel guns, and communication gear. Meanwhile, operations in Kakching and Imphal East on August 14 netted a massive arsenal consisting of INSAS rifles, .303 light machine guns, hand grenades, and thousands of live rounds, signaling an aggressive push by security teams to drain the militant supply chain.
Police also booked 51-year-old Y Brojen of the United National Liberation Front in a separate bust at Sajirok Mayai. Brojen faces charges linked to a kidnapping and shooting case.
Updated at 14th August 2026 at 6:00pm
Security forces expanded their sweep against militant supply chains on August 14. In the Awa-Ching area of Imphal East, authorities seized a .32 pistol, two 12-bore double-barrel guns, and thirteen 12-bore single-barrel guns. The haul also included three anti-riot grenades, rubber bullets, tear-smoke shells, and wireless sets.
Operations in the Double Khong Marifangbi canal area of Kakching added to the growing mountain of confiscated hardware. Joint teams pulled a .303 LMG, three INSAS rifles, a 9mm pistol, and four single-barrel firearms from the site, alongside 2,156 live rounds and 30 magazines. Forces also tracked down specific quantities from the Kangpokpi sweep, noting the recovery of four walkie-talkie sets and six chargers alongside the previously reported rifles and ammunition.
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