10 Militants Killed in Chandel Encounter; 14 Held in Separate Crackdown in Manipur
Assam Rifles intensifies counter-insurgency ops near Indo-Myanmar border amid ongoing unrest
In a major breakthrough in ongoing counter-insurgency operations, the Eastern Command of the Indian Army on Thursday said that at least 10 militants were killed during a fierce encounter with the Assam Rifles in Manipur’s Chandel district. The operation, which began on Wednesday, is still underway, and security sources said a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site.
While officials remained tight-lipped about the identity of the militant group, sources said the gunfight occurred near New Samtal village in the Khengjoy area of Chandel, close to the Indo-Myanmar border, after troops detected suspicious movement of armed insurgents.
“Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the movement of armed cadres near New Samtal village, Khengjoy tehsil, Chandel district, close to the Indo-Myanmar border, an Assam Rifles unit under Spear Corps launched an operation on Wednesday,” a security official said.
"During the operation, the troops were fired upon by suspected cadres. They responded swiftly, redeployed tactically, and retaliated in a calibrated and measured manner. In the ensuing firefight, 10 cadres were neutralised and a sizeable quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered," said a statement from the Eastern Command.
The identities of the slain militants have not been disclosed. The operation marks a significant blow to insurgent activity in the mountainous region of Manipur’s restive Chandel district, which is inhabited by various tribal communities, including the Nagas.
Manipur shares a 398-km-long unfenced international border with Myanmar. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) began fencing work along the difficult terrain last year.
Thursday’s encounter is one of the most significant counter-insurgency operations since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, between Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities. Meanwhile, on the same day, a joint operation by combined security forces led to the arrest of 14 militants belonging to banned outfits, along with the detention of three illegal arms dealers.
The arrests were made during coordinated raids across four districts — Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Tengnoupal — within a 24-hour span.
Security sources said the arrested militants beloned to four insurgent groups: Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), all of which have long histories of insurgent activity in the region.
Arms, ammunition, Aadhaar cards, incriminating documents, and other materials were recovered during the raids, the sources said.
