New Delhi (Agency): In Manipur, a state in northeastern India, officials are raising alarms about the resurgence of dormant terror groups. This warning comes after an army officer was severely injured last week by gunshots allegedly fired by members of banned organizations United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to the officials, these groups are increasingly mingling with crowds during protests to create tension in Manipur. Last week, a Lieutenant Colonel of the army, Raman Tyagi, was injured in a standoff near Molnoi village in Tengnoupal district. “During the stand-off, a bullet hit Lt Col Raman Tyagi in his hand,” said officials. Tyagi was airlifted to Guwahati for specialized treatment after the incident.
The rising tension comes at a time when security agencies had been warning about the comeback of nearly dormant groups like UNLF, PLA, Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL), and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK). Officials pointed out that these groups have active cadres—330 for UNLF, 300 for PLA, and 25 for KYKL.
Adding to the concern, security forces seized significant amounts of arms and ammunition from these groups in recent months. These include .303 rifles, Medium Machine Guns, AK assault rifles, and around 6 lakh bullets. Officials fear that these weapons might have been looted from Manipur’s police armory, especially as records show that 4,537 arms and 6.32 lakh rounds of ammunition are missing from various security agencies in the state.
Since May, ethnic clashes have escalated in Manipur, leading to the death of over 160 people. Officials expressed worry that these conflicts could be exacerbated by the newly active terror groups. Each of these organizations has its agenda: the UNLF mainly extorts money from contractors and businessmen, the PLA aims for an independent Meitei land in Imphal Valley, while the KYKL and PREPAK are mostly involved in drug trafficking and smuggling.