Major CoBRA Raid On Designated Kuki Insurgent Camp In Manipur Finds 17 Impersonators
Seventeen men who impersonated as insurgents already registered with the government under a ceasefire deal for rehabilitation have been arrested from a designated camp in Manipur, in one of the biggest operations in recent times in a very high-risk area in the state by the CRPF and its commandos, CoBRA.
This was the first major operation directly at the very location of a camp of Kuki insurgents who had signed the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement. They have been facing allegations of misusing the SoO agreement to break up Manipur by lying about staying put in designated camps, ever since the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence began in May 2023.
The location, called Sinai Camp, was also a designated camp for insurgents under the SoO agreement to stay, with their weapons kept in locked storage and monitored by a joint monitoring group whose members included the military.
In the operation on October 23, security personnel seized 24 firearms, explosives, ammunition and communication equipment, the Manipur Police said.
The operation was launched by the Quick Action Team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its special CoBRA units along with Manipur Police commandos. The CRPF's CoBRA has done very well in eliminating Maoists in the heartland. They are now operating in Manipur for the first time.
Well done guys. Keep it up. Proud of hard work being done. @crpfindia
— GP Singh (@gpsinghips) October 24, 2026
The latest operation has brought the camp under renewed scrutiny amid mounting demands for accountability following the October 19 killing of three civilians of the Meitei community on the outskirts of the state capital Imphal, near the Kuki-dominant Kangpokpi district.
According to police, the 17 arrested insurgents used false identities to pose as registered insurgents - eight as members of the Kuki National Army (KNA) and nine as members of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA). All 17 were arrested following verification at the camp.
The seized items included 24 firearms, 38 magazines, a large quantity of ammunition, explosives, wireless communication equipment and other combat gear.
A case has been filed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act and the Explosive Substances Act. They have been sent to eight days of police custody until October 31, and their medical examinations have been completed.
The police said the investigation would also look for potential involvement of designated insurgents who were supposed to be at the camp.
Under the SoO agreement, the insurgents are to stay at designated camps and their weapons kept in locked storage, to be monitored regularly. Insurgents who are part of the SoO agreement get a stipend of approximately Rs 6,000 every month, meant for their rehabilitation. The agreement is also reviewed every year for extension or termination by the joint monitoring group.
READ | Call For 'Operation Manipur' Grows Louder For Disarmament Of All Armed Groups
Over two dozen insurgent groups come under two umbrella organisations for the purpose of negotiations - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) led by the Kuki National Army, and the United People's Front (UPF) led by the Zomi Revolutionary Army. The KNO and the UPF representing all the others have signed the SoO agreement.
The operation comes amid renewed questions over the verification of individuals staying at designated camps under the SoO agreement and the accountability mechanisms governing them. The seizure of a substantial amount of weapons and combat equipment has added to the scrutiny, although investigators have yet to establish the circumstances in which the arms were held at the camp.
READ | Blog: In Manipur, To SoO Or Not
The Sinai Camp had come under scrutiny following the October 19 attack in which three civilians were killed while they were collecting firewood.
Manipur MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar Singh was among the first to raise the possibility that the attack could have been planned and executed from the nearby Sinai Camp. He demanded the camp's immediate removal and action against those responsible, while questioning the security arrangements in the area.
The killings triggered protests and renewed demands for the removal of the camp, amid concerns that the incident could reignite tensions between Meitei and Kuki communities. The arrests at Sinai Camp, however, should be distinguished from the investigation into the civilian killings. The police have not established any direct link between the 17 individuals arrested during the camp operation and the October 19 attack.
The operation has drawn attention to the status of the SoO arrangement. Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam has said the agreement expired on September 4 and had not been renewed. He has also stated that the arrangement does not allow fresh recruitment.
Activists have raised the question of whether it meant that the insurgents can be neutralised now that there is no agreement in place.
Sinai Camp Operation (23/10/2026) On 23/10/2026, a joint operation by Manipur Police, QAT CRPF and CoBRA was conducted at Sinai Camp, a designated SoO camp of KNO/KNA and KNO/KLA. During verification, 17 individuals were found impersonating registered SoO cadres (8 KNA and 9 KLA) using false identities. All 17 were arrested. Seizures: 24 firearms, 38 magazines, a large quantity of ammunition, explosives, wireless communication equipment and other combat gear. Accordingly, FIR No. 20(10)2026 YPI-PS was registered under relevant provisions of the BNS, Arms Act, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act and Explosive Substances Act. All 17 accused have been remanded to 08 days' police custody till 31/10/2026. Their medical examinations have been completed. Further investigation is underway regarding the involvement of camp functionaries, impersonation, unauthorised possession of arms and violations of SoO ground rules.
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) October 24, 2026
"In a high-impact joint action on 23 October at the designated SoO Sinai Camp (KNO/KNA & KNO/KLA), CRPF's Quick action team and elite CoBRA units, working with Manipur Police, exposed 17 individuals (8 KNA and 9 KLA) posing as registered cadres with fake identities. All 17 were arrested on the spot," the police said in a statement.
"This precision strike by CRPF-led CoBRA forces delivered a sharp blow to unauthorised armed elements and strengthened the push for lasting peace in Manipur," they said.
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