Security forces in Manipur have achieved a major breakthrough by arresting four militants, including the self-styled commander-in-chief of a banned Kuki insurgent group.

The operations took place across Churachandpur, Imphal West, and Thoubal districts over the past week, reflecting intensified counter-insurgency measures in the state.

The most significant arrest was that of Paokholen Guite, the self-styled commander-in-chief of the Chin Kuki Mizo Army (CKMA). He was apprehended at S Munuam in Churachandpur district during a carefully executed operation on Wednesday. Guite is accused of involvement in arms and narcotics trafficking across the porous India-Myanmar border, as well as racketeering through extortion. Security forces recovered two AK-47 rifles, 181 rounds of assorted ammunition, ₹1,00,000 in cash, and a car from his possession, highlighting his active role in financing militant activities.

In a parallel crackdown, security forces arrested two cadres of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from separate locations in Imphal West district on Thursday. Both were engaged in extortion targeting brick field owners and businesses operating in the valley region. The arrests are seen as part of ongoing efforts to neutralize extortion networks that sustain insurgent groups in Manipur.

Additionally, another PLA member was arrested from his residence at Yairipok in Thoubal district on Wednesday. This operative was found to be closely involved in systematic collection of money from quarry workers, further underscoring the PLA’s reliance on coercive financial networks to fuel its operations.

The crackdown follows heightened PLA activity in recent months. Notably, in September, PLA militants had launched an ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy at Nambol Sabal Leikai in Bishnupur district. The attack killed two Assam Rifles personnel, intensifying security concerns in the region and prompting stepped-up operations.

The arrest of Guite, considered a key figure among Kuki insurgent circles, is a significant setback for armed groups operating near the Indo-Myanmar border.

His capture, along with the arrests of PLA operatives, reflects a coordinated strategy by state police and central security forces to dismantle financing and weapons networks of insurgent groups. It also comes amid wider troop deployments and search operations across Manipur to contain violence and restore stability following months of unrest.

Based On PTI Report