The National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended three members of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) Pambei group, including the outfit’s Army Chief Thokchom Thoiba alias Sidabamapu, from Leipham Mayang Imphal Konchak in Imphal West District on Wednesday. The Chief Intelligence in Charge Ingba and another cadre were also among those detained.
According to reliable sources, a joint operation involving the Assam Rifles, Manipur Police Commando, including NIA personnel, conducted the operation in the early hours of the morning in the Kwakeithel area under Singjamei Police Station. Following their arrest, the three individuals were flown from Imphal to New Delhi in a special Indian Air Force plane.
However, the reasons behind their detention and whether any incriminating evidence or weapons were seized remain unconfirmed.
Following the detention of the three leaders, hundreds of people, mainly women representing various organizations staged protests.
In Yairipok Bazaar, women protestors began a road blockade, while in the northern part of Imphal city, all shops and business establishments closed in the afternoon as a gesture of solidarity.
Thokchom Thoiba leads the UNLF Pambei group, a faction of the UNLF that has been proscribed in Manipur for over 50 years. Recently, this faction gained attention for signing a significant peace agreement with the Government of India, marking the first instance among underground groups in Manipur’s valley to take such a step.
