First-Ever Drone Strike by Banned Meitei Insurgent Group from Myanmar Injures Assam Rifles, Raises Fresh Security Alarm in Manipur
A rare cross border drone strike marks a dangerous escalation in insurgent tactics along the India Myanmar frontier as security forces brace for wider fallout in Manipur. Image courtesy: AI generated picture via DALL-E
A first-of-its-kind cross-border drone attack by the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) insurgent group from Myanmar on Indian security forces has escalated security concerns in Manipur, threatening the Centre’s efforts to restore stability and communal harmony in the violence-hit northeastern state now under President’s Rule.
The PLA, a proscribed Meitei outfit, last week claimed responsibility for a powerful drone strike on a forward operating base of the Assam Rifles in Tengnoupal district early on November 28. Four personnel of the paramilitary force were injured in the pre-dawn attack, marking the first known aerial assault by insurgents on Indian forces in the region.
How did the banned outfit claim responsibility?
In a nearly seven-minute video circulated on social media, the PLA showcased its 404 Mobile Force executing the operation—codenamed Operation LANG-OL. The footage shows militants conducting aerial reconnaissance before deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to drop three improvised bombs on the temporary Assam Rifles outpost. Visuals also captured troops scrambling for cover after the explosions.
The targeted post is located near the India-Myanmar border pillars 85 and 86 at Yangoupokpi, between Saibol and Maringthel villages. According to security officials, the stretch between border pillars 60 and 90 has witnessed repeated encounters as insurgent groups vie for dominance in the strategically sensitive corridor.
“This is the first aerial strike of its kind in the series of insurgent attacks over the past year in this zone,” a senior security official said, requesting anonymity.
What did the probe into the attack reveal?
Investigations traced the launch site to Min Thar, a forested and hilly region in Myanmar’s Sagaing area, barely two kilometres from the Indian border. Intelligence inputs suggest that around 800–1,000 militants from the PLA and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) are operating from the area, which reportedly houses fortified bunkers, anti-drone systems, training camps, and arms depots. The hideout is also believed to enjoy tacit backing from the Myanmar Army amid the ongoing civil war.
Ironically, the targeted Assam Rifles post lies close to Kwatha village, Manipur’s only Meitei settlement in Tengnoupal district, which has remained protected during the two-year-long ethnic clashes due to strong security deployment.
Security officials argue that while the Assam Rifles has balanced counter-insurgency operations with community protection, the latest attack underscores the urgent need for policymakers to address Myanmar’s alleged support to militant groups threatening Indian forces from across the border.
