Security Forces Arrest PLA Members Connected to Manipur Ambush Amid Concerns of Political Contract Killing

Oct 06, 2025 03:14 am CST

Security forces have arrested 15 members of the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Manipur, including two key suspects directly involved in an ambush that killed two Assam Rifles soldiers. Intelligence agencies are investigating whether the attack was a politically motivated "contract killing" designed to undermine President's Rule, which has reduced ethnic violence in the region. The incident raises concerns about insurgent groups potentially operating with political patronage and the circulation of weapons originally stolen during earlier ethnic clashes.