Imphal: Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups expired in the first week of September 2026 and had not been renewed.
Speaking to the media in Imphal West on Friday, he said the state and central governments were considering not renewing the agreement due to strong public opposition to its continuation.
The announcement came after security forces raided the Sinai-designated camp following the recent killing of three Meitei civilians at Sunulok Ching under Sagolmang police station.
Personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and CoBRA commandos took part in the operation as part of the investigation into the killings.
Three Kuki individuals suspected of belonging to the Kuki National Front (KNF) had been arrested in connection with the deaths. Konthoujam said investigators had yet to confirm which KNF faction the suspects belonged to.
Security personnel found 18 people at the Sinai camp, far fewer than the number of cadres expected to be present. Of them, only one was verified as a KNF cadre covered by the former SoO agreement.
The other 17 people could not be verified as SoO cadres and were detained. The minister said they were scheduled to be formally arrested on Friday.
Konthoujam said the lower-than-expected number of cadres at the camp did not amount to a formal breach of the agreement. Since the SoO pact had already expired in early September, the situation could not be treated as a violation of an active agreement.
He said joint security forces would continue operations in suspected areas to maintain law and order.
No group or camp linked to Kuki, Meitei or Naga factions would be exempt from legal action, he added.