Crackdown on PLA: Key Arrests After Deadly Manipur Ambush

Security forces have successfully apprehended two key members of the banned People's Liberation Army, following their significant involvement in the deadly ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in Manipur on September 19. According to police statements, the attack resulted in the deaths of two personnel and injuries to five others.

Among those arrested is Chongtham Mahesh, a senior cadre of the PLA, who was detained in Assam with the assistance of Guwahati's Crime Branch police. The other militant was captured separately, though details of the location remain undisclosed. This operation comes days after capturing the prime suspect of the ambush in Imphal West district.

The PLA, operating mainly out of neighboring Myanmar, has been a significant threat amid ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, which has claimed over 260 lives since May 2023. The unrest prompted the imposition of President's rule in the state following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the suspension of the state assembly.

(With inputs from agencies.)