Imphal: In a joint anti-insurgency operation by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Police, a cadre of the proscribed Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup (KYKL) was arrested, and 27 country-made bombs were recovered and neutralised on January 1, 2026.
Officials said the arrest and recovery of explosive materials marked the first major success of the joint security forces in 2026.
During the first phase of the operation, carried out on the basis of intelligence inputs from multiple sources, the joint forces arrested an active KYKL cadre identified as Tekcham Mani Meitei, alias Jacob (51), a resident of Wangjing Wangkhei in Thoubal district. He was arrested from his hideout at Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal, Lane No. 5, in Imphal East district on New Year’s Day.
The following items were recovered from his possession, inter alia:
i) 01 (one) HP keyboard,
ii) 01 (one) mobile handset, and
iii) 01 (one) Aadhaar card.
Based on his on-the-spot preliminary interrogation, the joint forces launched another operation in the Monglham village area under Thoubal Dam Police Station in Imphal East district. The second phase of the operation concluded with the recovery of 27 locally made explosive devices, police said, adding that the bombs were later neutralised at a secluded location.
The arrested militant was subsequently handed over to the concerned police station for further legal action, police added. The KYKL is a proscribed outfit that demands the restoration of Manipur’s lost sovereignty.