New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested three insurgents in connection with a fatal ambush on security personnel in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district last year that resulted in the deaths of two police commandos and left several others injured.
According to officials, the trio was involved in planning and executing the January 17, 2024, attack on an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) outpost in Moreh, a town located along the India-Myanmar border.
The operation was a joint effort by several insurgent groups.
One of the key suspects, Thangminlen Mate, a resident of Tengnoupal and a member of the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal insurgent group, played a central role in orchestrating the assault.
He was arrested on May 19, 2025, in Silchar, Assam.
Following his arrest, he was presented before the NIA court in Guwahati and remanded to custody until May 28. He is currently lodged at Guwahati Central Jail.
Two other suspects, Kamginthang Gangte, a member of the Kuki National Army, and Hentinthang Kipgen, also known as Thangneo Kipgen, who is affiliated with the Village Volunteers group in Churachandpur district, were arrested in Imphal on June 6.
They have been placed under transit remand until June 9 and are expected to be transferred to the NIA Special Court in Guwahati.
All three individuals are believed to be directly involved in executing the January 2024 ambush and are part of a larger network aiming to destabilize the region.
In a related development, the NIA last month filed a chargesheet against three individuals from Mizoram — Vanlaldailova, Lalmuanpuia, and Lalrinchhunga, also known as Albert — for trafficking illegal arms and explosives to insurgent groups operating in the Northeast.
ALSO READ: AJP slams Assam CM for ‘greenwashing’ amid late-night tree felling
The trio was arrested on December 6, 2024, after weapons and explosives were recovered during raids at their homes.
Investigators say these individuals played a key role in supplying weapons to extremist factions, further fueling ethnic violence in Manipur.
The NIA also confirmed that they were actively involved in raising funds used to purchase arms for terror-related activities, posing a serious threat to public safety and national security.
