On Tuesday, Manipur Police arrested three men in the aftermath of the Sunulok Hill attack that took place on October 19. The assault, which left three people dead and three others wounded, occurred in the S Highland Court area near Uyumpok, close to Nongsum Hill.
Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), said the three arrested had confessed to being part of the assault team. The third suspect's role remains under investigation, and police are probing for other accomplices.
During the operation, investigators seized 12 firearms—including an INSAS rifle, an M16, an AK‑47, a 7.62‑mm sniper rifle, and a handmade rocket launcher—along with 1,095 rounds of ammunition and a range of explosives such as TNT slabs, PK explosive, and Chinese hand grenades.
The crackdown followed the killing of three firewood collectors on the same day, a tragedy that sparked protests in Imphal and prompted an MLA to demand the removal of a nearby suspension of operations camp. The incident heightens concerns over rising Meitei‑Kuki tensions after a period of relative calm.
In a separate operation, joint forces detained 17 individuals around the Sinai camp, where ammunition and magazines were reported missing. The verification process is ongoing, and police expect to confirm the identities of the detainees within the next week.
Police urged the public to report suspicious activity and warned against spreading unverified rumors, citing potential legal action. The investigation into the broader network is underway, with the next phase expected to involve additional raids in the surrounding villages.