Imphal: Security forces have intensified anti-insurgency operations in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, destroying temporary camps allegedly set up by the outlawed United Kuki National Army (UKNA) and recovering a large cache of arms and explosives, officials said on Tuesday. The operations followed the killing of a Meitei civilian earlier this month.

According to officials, joint teams of central security forces and Manipur Police carried out coordinated raids on suspected UKNA hideouts and operational areas over the past 72 hours, leading to the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices.

The intensified operations come in the wake of the killing of Mayanglambam Rishikanta (29), a plastic engineer belonging to the Meitei community, who was abducted and murdered in Churachandpur district. Rishikanta was a resident of Kakching Khunou Uchal Makhong and had been living in Tuibong since December 19, 2025, with his fiance, a Kuki woman. He was allegedly abducted on January 21 by three to four cadres of the UKNA near his rented residence and later killed.

UKNA is an armed Kuki insurgent group operating along the India–Myanmar border in Manipur and has not signed any Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government.

During the first phase of the operation, security forces recovered arms and explosives from the Terakhongshang forest area of Teijang village under Churachandpur police station. The seized items included one M-A II MK II rifle with magazine, one AK magazine, 66 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, two high-explosive hand grenades, three improvised explosive devices weighing approximately 3.5 kg each, and one muzzle-loading barrel gun.

In a separate operation at the Loilamkot area of the district, the joint team recovered three RPG rounds, five 30 mm grenades, one .303 bolt-action rifle, two locally made cannons (Pumpi), three Pumpi shells, two single-barrelled rifles, and 10 SBBL cartridges.

Another raid at Nalon village led to the seizure of three RPG rounds, five 30 mm grenades, one bolt-action rifle, two Pumpis, three Pumpi shells, and two single-barrelled rifles.

Meanwhile, the killing of Rishikanta has triggered widespread outrage across the state. Organisations including the All Manipur Nupi Marup (AMNM) and the Indigenous Development Mission (IDM) have demanded justice and blamed the State Government and security forces for failing to prevent the incident.

Amid mounting public pressure and condemnation, the Home Secretary has ordered that the investigation into the killing be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).