Amid renewed ethnic tensions and violent clashes in Manipur, security forces have made a major recovery – a nine-foot-long country-made rocket packed with explosives and a detonator, further signaling a worrying escalation in the state’s security situation. The same was confirmed by Manipur Police on X.
In a statement on the social media platform, the state police confirmed that on Monday (October 6, 2025), security forces recovered the massive explosive device, weighing nearly 200 kilograms, from the area between S. Lonphai and Tuikong villages under Churachandpur district.
The recovery comes at a time when the region is already tense following a series of fresh confrontations between armed groups and security forces across the state.
Who were arrested in the operation?
As part of the ongoing counter-insurgency drive, three militants belonging to two banned outfits – the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), along with its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) – were arrested from Imphal East and Imphal West districts.
These outfits, particularly the PLA, have long operated in the Imphal valley, often targeting security forces and engaging in extortion. Their involvement underscores the continuing challenges to stability in the region.
What were the militants’ activities?
According to police, the arrested rebels were actively recruiting local youths into the RPF/PLA network, engaging in extortion from civilians and government officials, and even mediating local disputes through intimidation and coercion. Such activities have surged in recent months amid the state’s deteriorating law-and-order situation, with militant groups exploiting the unrest to rebuild networks.
In a separate operation, Manipur Police arrested two individuals from the Awang Sekmai area in Imphal West district and seized 26.47 kg of contraband ganja. The arrested persons, Ramjan Ahmed Laskar and Mirinshing Lunghaar, are residents of Teinem Village in Ukhrul district.
The bust hints at the drug trafficking nexus that continues to thrive alongside insurgent activities in the state, feeding into a cycle of violence and criminality.
What does this mean for Manipur’s security landscape?
The recovery of such a large improvised rocket, amid ongoing ethnic violence and insurgent resurgence, raises serious concerns about the proliferation of heavy explosives in civilian areas. Worth mentioning here is that PM Narendra Modi had visit the state last month, a first since the violent 2023 clashes.
Just a few days after the Prime Minister’s visit to the northeastern state, two soldiers of the Assam Rifles, identified as Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap, were killed in action on September 19, 2025 after their truck was ambushed by a group of terrorists on the outskirts of Manipur’s Imphal.