Kuki groups oppose NIA's arrest of three leaders, Centre to meet rebel groups

Guwahati: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday stated that three persons belonging to Kuki community were arrested on Friday for their alleged involvement in an attack on security forces in the border town Moreh last year.

Two commandos were killed and several others were injured in the attack.

Those arrested include Thangminlen Mate, a member of the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal (KIT), Kamginthang Gangte, a member of Kuki National Army (KNA), an insurgent group and Hentinthang Kipgen, an associate of the "Village Volunteers" group. The NIA said KIT is an insurgent group.

The KNA is one of the Kuki rebel groups, which are in ceasefire with the government. The Kukis claim that village volunteers took up arms to protect their villages against possible attacks by the Meiteis.

"Mate had played a key role in orchestrating and carrying out the attack. He was apprehended on May 19, 2025 in Silchar, Assam, and produced before the NIA Court in Guwahati, which remanded him to custody until May 28. He is currently lodged in Central Jail, Guwahati, under judicial custody," a statement issued by the NIA.

The attack was carried out on an Indian Reserve Battalion on January 17, 2024 at Moreh, a town that shares the border with Myanmar. Moreh is a Kuki-dominated town in Tengnoupal district.

The killing of the two commandos belonging to Meitei community had triggered strong protests in the Imphal Valley. Following the protests, the case was referred to the NIA.

Although the arrests were made on Friday, the NIA admitted it on Sunday, on a day the valley erupted in protest following the arrest of a leader of Arambai Tenngol, a Meitei radical armed group, by the CBI. The leader was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Meitei-Kuki conflict in 2023.

Protest by Kukis

As the NIA remained tightlipped about the arrests, several Kuki organisations on Friday enforced a "shutdown" at Moreh on Saturday to register their protest against the arrests. On Sunday, Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights issued a statement condemning the arrests by the NIA. The organisation demanded immediate release of all "arbitrary arrested" persons.

Meeting with SoO groups

Meanwhile, the Centre is likely to hold a meeting with leaders of Kuki insurgent groups, which are in Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement with the government since 2008. The meeting is likely to take place in New Delhi on Monday. On May 24, the Kuki organisations decided in Guwahati that they would refrain from further meeting if a dialogue was not held with the SoO groups.

Meiteis, on the other hand, opposed to it and demanded abrogation of the agreement.