Security personnel in Manipur arrested two alleged members of the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM) from Imphal East on September 15 after a joint operation by the CDO and CRPF teams, with investigators linking the brothers to two recent firing incidents involving security personnel, Police said.
Key Takeaways:
- Security personnel arrested two brothers allegedly linked to NRFM in Imphal East.
- The operation recovered an AK-47 with 43 rounds and a 9 mm pistol with three rounds.
- Police linked the suspects to alleged firing incidents targeting SSB and CRPF personnel.
In a joint operation by security agencies two alleged active members of the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM) in Imphal East were apprehended and firearms, ammunition and vehicles were recovered, according to a statement issued by the Manipur Police.
The arrests took place on September 15 at Kongpal Kongkham Leikai in Imphal East. A joint team from CDO Imphal East, CDO Imphal West and the CRPF conducted the operation.
Police said the operation followed reliable intelligence received from the CRPF M&N Sector. CDO Imphal East and CDO Imphal West corroborated the intelligence before the joint team moved in.
The arrested men are brothers. Police identified them as 27-year-old Sheleibam Tomtin Meitei, alias Tomba, and 35-year-old Sheleibam Jagatshyam Meitei, alias Ibungo.
Police described both men as active NRFM members.
Suspects Linked to Two Firing Incidents
According to the police statement, the two brothers were allegedly involved in firing incidents targeting security personnel in Manipur.
Police linked them to the firing on SSB personnel at Lamlong Bazar on August 22, 2026.
Investigators also linked the suspects to the alleged firing on CRPF personnel at Khonghampat on September 10.
The police statement also noted that the suspects’ father, Sheleibam Yaima, had already been arrested in connection with the alleged attack on CRPF personnel at Khonghampat.
The latest arrests therefore form part of the investigation into attacks involving security personnel in the state.
AK-47, Pistol and Ammunition Seized
The joint operation also led to the recovery of several weapons and vehicles.
Police seized one AK-47 rifle along with 43 live rounds. The team also recovered a 9 mm pistol and three live rounds.
Three vehicles were seized during the operation. They included one car, one auto-rickshaw and one scooter.
The recovery of the firearms and ammunition forms a key part of the police action against the alleged NRFM members.
Fresh Violence Reported in Manipur
The arrests came amid fresh reports of violence from other parts of Manipur.
The Hindu reported on September 16 that suspected militants attacked a hill village in Kangpokpi district. The attackers allegedly set fire to at least two houses before exchanging fire with security forces, officials said.
The development added to concerns over fresh armed violence in the state.
Two Kuki Women Killed in Jiribam
A separate incident also claimed the lives of two Kuki women in Jiribam district on September 15.
According to an IANS report, suspected cadres of a Naga armed group allegedly opened fire on the women at Leisangphai. Police said the two women had gone to their farm to collect firewood.
The victims were identified as 60-year-old Chonga Sitlhou and 28-year-old Ng. Kimneo Singson.
Local sources said Singson had recently completed a nursing course. She had returned home to help her parents with farming.
Kuki community organisations blamed NSCN-IM and ZUF-K for the killings. They described the incident as part of a series of attacks involving Kuki civilians in Jiribam, Tamenglong and Noney districts.
The Kuki-Zo Council issued a notification to civil society organisations in Kuki-inhabited districts. It directed them not to bury Kuki-Zo people allegedly killed by Naga armed groups until further notice.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur also condemned the killings. The organisation alleged that six Kuki villagers had died over the preceding three days, including the two women killed on September 15.
It called on the Central and state governments to protect civilians, secure vulnerable villages and bring those responsible for the killings to justice.
N Biren Singh Raises Poppy Cultivation Concern
Using the X Platform, Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh separately raised concerns over the destruction of forest areas because of poppy cultivation.
Singh said several forest areas had already suffered extensive damage. He also claimed that authorities continue to uncover locations with large-scale poppy cultivation.
It fills me with deep sorrow to see my beloved Manipur being turned into a poppy hub.
Our once-lush forest areas are being devastated beyond recognition. Besides several other areas already destroyed by poppy cultivation, more locations with mass cultivation are being… pic.twitter.com/LQ2HHdOsJ6
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) September 15, 2026
He warned that continued deforestation could reduce Manipur’s green cover and affect future generations.
Singh appealed to the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to take urgent and decisive action against the problem.
The latest arrests by Manipur Police come against this backdrop of renewed reports of armed attacks, civilian killings and other security concerns across the state. The police recovery of an AK-47, a 9 mm pistol and live ammunition has also added a significant development to investigations into recent attacks on security personnel.
