Opinion | Ambushing The Road To Peace In Manipur

Written By :Lt Gen (Dr) Pradeep C Nair

The fact that no outfit has claimed responsibility for the 19 September ambush, is clear evidence of lack of public sympathy for the militants
On 19 September 2025, as a Tata 407 vehicle of 33 Assam Rifles (AR) was travelling from its Patsoi base to its base in Nambol (a distance of 13.5 km) in Manipur, at about 5.50 pm, it came under intense fire at Nambol Sabal Leikai village from armed militants. In the ensuing action, two soldiers of 33 AR, Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh were killed. Five other soldiers were injured. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

This attack on the AR vehicle came exactly six days after the visit of the Prime Minister. Incidentally, the PM had travelled on the same road during his visit to Manipur on 19 September 2025. Nambol Sabal Leikai comes under Bishnupur district, which is not under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Parenthetically, AFSPA is applicable in the entire state of Manipur, except in 13 Police Stations in the valley region, which includes Bishnupur district. The PM’s visit had brought much cheer to the people of all the communities of Manipur and it had ignited a ray of hope for restoration of normalcy, in the State. Some important issues regarding this ambush need deliberation.

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First, the circumstances leading to the ambush itself. The Tata 407 vehicle was on a routine administrative duty in a denotified area. Denotified areas are areas that are considered ‘safe’ and where the presence of militants is unlikely. Without the AFSPA, the ability of Army or AR to search in these areas without permission, is significantly curtailed and they need legal authorisation based on existing criminal procedure laws to conduct searches. Taking advantage of this, the militants would have planned this ambush here.

Second, since this ambush was carried out in a village, were the villagers aware of this impending ambush given that there would have been retaliation by the AR troops and that would have resulted in civilian casualties? It has been learnt through reliable sources that the villagers had a whiff of the imminent ambush and as the AR vehicle approached the village, there was hardly anyone on the road and no vehicles except the silver van (in which the militants fled). However, this must not be misconstrued as culpability of the villagers, but is clearly a sign of coercion and intimidation by the militants, as is very often the case in Manipur. The villagers would have had no choice in fact; reporting to the security forces in advance would have meant facing the wrath of the militants.

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Third, why was this ambush carried out, given that after imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur in February this year, the levels of violence had drastically reduced in the state and it looked like normalcy would return, sooner or later. During his recent visit, the PM heard the accounts of the people affected by violence, first hand and he publicly announced that he was with them and he would do everything to help restore normalcy. It acted like a soothing balm to the distraught people of the state. Peace however, is not what certain people with vested interests want. These people are the militants of what was a fledgling insurgency and it is in their interest that the State remains disturbed.

Fourth, which is the militant group that would have possibly carried out this ambush? Usually, such heinous acts when carried out are followed by claims by the responsible militant group or groups. The last major ambush against AR in the state was carried out on 13 November 2021 when Colonel Viplav Tripathi, Commanding Officer of the 46 AR, his wife and eight-year-old son, along with four soldiers were killed in an ambush in Churachandpur district. Two groups then had claimed responsibility, the People Liberation Army (PLA) and the Manipur Naga People’s Front (MNPF) — an unheard-of group till then or thereafter.

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The 13 November ambush was unique in the sense that for the first time the family of security forces had been targeted anywhere in the North-East. The PLA came under immense criticism amongst the society in Manipur for targeting a lady and a child, so they put out a message later that they were not aware of the presence of Col Tripathi’s family travelling with him. That was nothing but an absolute lie!

The fact that no militant group has claimed responsibility for this ambush this time, is also clear evidence of lack of public sympathy for the militants. There is a growing groundswell of condemnation in Manipur against the militants who carried out this attack. Investigation agencies will eventually find out who the perpetrators of this ambush were. Initial circumstantial evidence suggests it could be the handiwork of the PLA, yet again, though it is the investigation agencies that will have the final word.

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Today the common man of Manipur, cutting across all communities, yearns for peace and knows that AR troops are indeed the ‘Sentinels of the North-East’. It is also ironic that columns of the same battalion, 33 AR were involved in flood relief in Manipur till a day before this ambush and have the goodwill of the people. The militant groups think that they have ambushed not just AR troops, but the Manipur peace process itself. That unfortunately is untrue.

Lt Gen (Dr) Pradeep C Nair has been a Company Commander in Manipur, a Brigade Commander in Bishnupur (Manipur) and retired as the 21st Director General of Assam Rifles in July 2024. He has done his PhD on North-East, with special reference to Manipur. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author.