The attack follows operational patterns seen in previous PLA and UNLF strikes, including daylight ambushes and pre-planned escape routes.
BY Navin Upadhyay
September 19, 2025: The daylight ambush on an Assam Rifles (AR) convoy in Nambol Sabal Leikai, Bishnupur district, on September 19, 2025, which left one personnel dead and several others critically injured, has exposed the fragility of Manipur’s security landscape. Analysts point to valley-based insurgent groups and armed militias as the likely perpetrators, based on historical patterns, operational motives, and the unique position of Assam Rifles in the state’s ethnic and insurgent dynamics.
Targeting Assam Rifles: A Strategic Choice
Assam Rifles operates a dual role in Manipur, combining anti-insurgency operations with civil outreach initiatives, including community programs and developmental activities. While these efforts build goodwill in some areas, they also make AR a high-profile target for valley-based insurgent groups, primarily representing Meitei interests, who often view AR as favoring the tribal Kuki-Zo population in the hill districts.
Other security forces, such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) or Manipur Police, focus mainly on law enforcement and counter-insurgency operations without significant civil-military engagement. This makes AR disproportionately exposed to attacks from groups seeking to challenge state authority in the Imphal Valley.
READ:Â Deadly Ambush in Manipur: Two Assam Rifles Jawans Killed
Historical Precedent of Valley-Based Attacks
The Nambol ambush aligns with a pattern of assaults on Assam Rifles by groups like the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF). Past attacks have included ambushes on convoys, assaults on camps, and IED strikes, often timed to coincide with operational crackdowns or as retaliation for anti-extortion and anti-smuggling measures. These groups generally rely on tactics emphasizing surprise, rapid engagement, and automatic weapons, often coordinated with local sympathizers to enable swift withdrawal. The September 2025 attack along the IMP-BPR route demonstrates planning and operational knowledge consistent with this historical pattern.
#BREAKING: An Ambush on Assam Rifles truck has been reported from the Nambol area, on the outskirts of Imphal, around 8 km from the Imphal Airport. 3 Fatalities suspected. Operation is in progress. More details are awaited.#manipur#ambushattack#ar #assamrifle pic.twitter.com/bXffqcjjL6
— Paramilitary News(CAPF)🇮🇳 (@Paramilitary_in) September 19, 2025
Why Kuki-Zo Groups Are Unlikely Culprits
Bishnupur lies in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley, far from Kuki-Zo operational areas in the hills. Most Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, including those under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) or United People’s Front (UPF), have signed Suspension of Operations agreements with the central government and cooperate with Assam Rifles, which they regard as a protective force against Meitei aggression. Targeting AR would undermine these agreements and offer little strategic gain, making their involvement highly improbable.
Operational Tactics and Strategic Calculations
Valley-based outfits like the PLA employ ambush tactics that leverage terrain, maximize psychological impact, and target forces perceived as symbolic of state authority. High-visibility strikes in daylight, executed along chokepoints or dense vegetation, aim to instill fear among security personnel and civilians alike. Coordinated attacks with pre-planned escape routes reduce risk to attackers while ensuring operational success. The Nambol ambush fits this operational signature.
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The attack must also be viewed against the backdrop of long-standing Meitei-Kuki tensions. Meitei groups dominate the valley while Kuki-Zo tribes inhabit the hills, creating competition over resources, influence, and territory. While valley-based insurgents often represent Meitei interests, Kuki-Zo groups rely on Assam Rifles for protection, producing divergent allegiances and influencing target selection.
The Nambol ambush underscores the persistent threat posed by valley-based insurgents and armed militias in the Imphal Valley. Historical targeting patterns, Assam Rifles’ dual civil-security role, and the absence of Kuki-Zo presence in Bishnupur point squarely to Meitei-dominated outfits such as the PLA and UNLF. The incident highlights the complex interplay of ethnic tensions, insurgent strategy, and civil-military dynamics in Manipur, emphasizing the urgent need for dialogue, development initiatives, and decisive action against insurgent networks.
