High-Alert in Manipur: Mega Combing Operation Launched After Fresh Tensions; Bunkers Destroyed, Insurgents Held

Amid a fresh surge in tensions, security forces in Manipur have launched a massive, coordinated crackdown across multiple districts. Personally led by the newly appointed Manipur Director General of Police (DGP), Mukesh Singh, and coordinated by the IG of the CRPF (M and N Sector), the high-stakes operation targeted volatile fringe areas to restore law and order.

Massive Search Operations Underway in Kangpokpi

The large-scale combing operation focused heavily on three villages within the Kangpokpi district, Konsakhul, Leilon Vaiphei, and P Moulding, along with their adjoining areas. To ensure a decisive response to any potential escalation, top-ranking officials from the Manipur Police, including the ADGP, two DIGs from the CRPF M and N Sector, and personnel from the 31 Assam Rifles, 33 Assam Rifles, and 8 Gorkha Rifles (GR), spearheaded the mission.

Security agencies moved into the region heavily armed, carrying Rocket Launchers (RLs) ready for immediate deployment in the event of an armed confrontation. During the searches, local women groups gathered on the streets, attempting to block the combined security forces from entering the villages. However, security personnel successfully bypassed the crowds to execute the operation.

As a result of the sweep, four village volunteers from both the Kuki and Naga communities were detained, and 11 firearms alongside a massive cache of ammunition were recovered. Notably, Leilon Vaiphei is the same Kuki village that recently witnessed the abduction of six Naga community members on May 13, whose bodies were later recovered on June 10.

Injured Youths Secretly Shifted from RIMS Amid Violent Protests

In a separate but highly volatile development, three injured Kuki youths, identified as Genlenmang Vaiphei (18), Lunliandaw Vaiphei (20), and Paogou Lal (18), were secretly moved out of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal shortly after midnight on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. One of the injured youths is reportedly a football player who has represented Mohun Bagan.

The trio had sustained injuries during a fierce exchange of fire between rival armed tribal groups in Kangpokpi district on Monday, June 15. Following their admission to RIMS by security forces, local demonstrators gathered outside, vehemently objecting to their treatment at the facility and alleging that the youths were "militants" involved in the Monday morning clash near Leilon Vaiphei.

The situation escalated dramatically on Tuesday night when angry protesters attempted to storm the hospital premises, demanding that the three youths be handed over to them. The crowd pelted stones at the security forces guarding the RIMS gate, forcing personnel to resort to a baton charge and fire multiple rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

To guarantee their safety, officials executed a midnight evacuation. "At around 12:15 a.m., the injured youths were moved out of the hospital amid elaborate security arrangements to ensure their safety," officials stated. Escorted by heavy security, the ambulances were seen heading toward the road leading to Churachandpur district. Authorities have declined to disclose their final medical destination due to severe security risks.

PLA Militants Arrested, 26 Bunkers Flattened

Simultaneously, the anti-insurgency drive intensified in other pockets of the state. In Imphal West, security forces apprehended three hardcore active cadres of the outlawed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF). According to police officials, the arrested individuals were heavily involved in multiple violent incidents and criminal activities across the state.

Further expanding the crackdown, joint security teams dismantled and destroyed 26 illegally constructed bunkers in the Kamjong and Ukhrul districts. These fortified structures had been set up by various armed groups to dominate territory and launch attacks. At the demolished bunker sites, security forces recovered a pair of binoculars, 23 empty weapon casings, and eight live rounds of Single Barrel Breech Loading (SBBL) guns.

Narcotics and Weapons Seized at Checkpoints

The state-wide enforcement matrix also yielded significant seizures. In the Molnom village of Churachandpur district, Manipur Police arrested two individuals after recovering approximately two kilograms of suspected morphine from their possession. In another targeted raid in Imphal East, security forces arrested 36-year-old Yumnam Seityajit Mangang, seizing a .22 calibre revolver along with nine live rounds of ammunition.

Strict area domination exercises, nakas, and round-the-clock checkpoints remain active across the vulnerable, violence-affected districts of Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, and Thoubal. With DGP Mukesh Singh personally monitoring the ground situation, security forces maintain a high state of alertness to preempt further communal clashes and insurgent activities.