In a significant development for Manipur’s security landscape, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has taken control of the Sinai Camp in Kangpokpi district, a designated camp of Kuki militant groups operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government, following a major joint operation by security forces.
The operation was launched by a combined team comprising the Manipur Police, the CRPF’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and other security agencies in the aftermath of the recent killing of three Meitei civilians in an ambush near the camp. Security forces subsequently disarmed the facility and brought the entire camp under their control.
Officials said the operation yielded surprising findings. Although the Sinai Camp was officially designated to accommodate around 150 cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA) and the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), security personnel reportedly found only 17 individuals at the site.
Preliminary investigations indicated that those present were allegedly posing as registered SoO cadres using false identities, prompting authorities to launch a detailed verification exercise.
The development has sparked fresh scrutiny of the functioning of designated camps established under the SoO arrangement and raised broader questions about compliance with the ceasefire ground rules governing militant groups in the state.
The Sinai Camp is associated with the KNA and KLA, armed groups that fall under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), one of the principal signatories to the SoO agreement signed with the Centre and the Manipur government.
Under the arrangement, cadres are required to remain within designated camps, while their weapons are to be deposited and monitored under prescribed security protocols.
The takeover of the camp is being viewed by security observers as one of the most consequential actions involving an SoO-designated facility since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023. The operation is expected to intensify debates over the effectiveness of existing monitoring mechanisms and the need for stricter enforcement of the agreement’s provisions.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited the camp after the operation and reviewed the security situation on the ground. During his visit, he inspected the premises and was briefed by officers of the CRPF and Assam Rifles on the conduct of the operation and the prevailing law and order environment in the area.
Interacting with security personnel, the Chief Minister commended the CRPF’s CoBRA Battalion for its role in the successful operation and the takeover of the camp. At the same time, he emphasized that security forces must exercise caution to ensure that innocent civilians are not adversely affected during search and combing operations.
Senior officers of the CRPF, Assam Rifles and Manipur Police, along with local MLA Thokchom Radheshyam also accompanied the Chief Minister during the inspection.
The operation comes at a sensitive time for Manipur’s security environment, where concerns over the future of the SoO framework and the activities of armed groups continue to remain at the centre of political and security discussions.
Analysts believe the developments at Sinai Camp could have wider implications for the government’s approach towards designated militant camps and future oversight of the SoO mechanism.
As investigations continue, security agencies are expected to further examine the status of registered cadres and the adherence of militant groups to the conditions laid down under the agreement, making the Sinai Camp episode a potentially important turning point in Manipur’s ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability.
