Four Assam Rifles personnel were injured in the pre-dawn attack by PLA, which involved grenades, small-arms fire, and reportedly drone-dropped explosives.
By PC Bureau
December 11, 2025: In a stark escalation of insurgent activity along India’s volatile northeastern border, the banned Meitei militant group People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has claimed responsibility for a deadly ambush on an Assam Rifles outpost in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district nearly two weeks ago. A detailed video released today alleges the use of drones to drop explosives in what it dubs “Operation Lang Ol,” marking a potential first in cross-border drone warfare against Indian security forces.
The assault, which injured four paramilitary personnel, underscores the persistent threat posed by valley-based insurgent groups (VBIGs) operating from Myanmar, amid Manipur’s ongoing ethnic strife.
READ: Analysis — Prez Murmu’s Assurances vs Manipur’s Reality
The Attack: Ambush at Saibol-Maringthel Outpost
The incident occurred in the pre-dawn hours of November 28, 2025, when a patrolling party from the 3rd Assam Rifles Battalion was ambushed near the India-Myanmar border pillars 85 and 86, in the remote Yangoupokpi area between Saibol and Maringthel villages.
Tengnoupal, a Kuki-Zo dominated hill district, scarred by the May 2023 Meitei-Kuki clashes, has long been a flashpoint for cross-border militancy due to its porous 398-km frontier with Myanmar. Eyewitness accounts and official statements describe the assault beginning around 4:15–5:30 a.m., with heavily armed militants hurling grenades and opening fire on the outpost using sophisticated weapons.
The exchange of fire lasted approximately 30 minutes, forcing the attackers to flee into Myanmar as reinforcements arrived. Four Assam Rifles personnel sustained injuries ranging from shrapnel wounds to gunshot impacts and were promptly airlifted to Leimakhong Military Hospital for treatment. No fatalities were reported among security forces or civilians, though the Defence Ministry condemned the strike as “cowardly” and deployed additional troops to cordon the area.
Initial investigations attributed the attack to unidentified militants, with suspicions falling on VBIGs exploiting the border’s rugged terrain. The site, part of a notorious smuggling corridor between pillars 79 and 87, has witnessed prior PLA incursions, including an IED blast on an Assam Rifles patrol at pillar 86 in November 2023. This stretch facilitates arms trafficking and militant staging, exacerbated by Myanmar’s civil war chaos.
Meitei terr0rist group PLA has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Assam Rifles outpost at Saibol-Maringthel near the Indo-Myanmar border.
They used drones to drop explosives on Indian army personnel during the strike.
This latest assault was codenamed… pic.twitter.com/eq9wKGqgGe
— Maj Digvijay Singh Rawat, Kirti Chakra (@Dig_raw21) December 11, 2025
PLA’s Claim: “Operation Lang Ol” and Drone Footage
On December 11, 2025, the PLA released a 7-minute propaganda video via social media, explicitly claiming the ambush as “Operation Lang Ol” (Manipuri for “Tiger’s Leap”).
The footage, timestamped and narrated in Manipuri with English subtitles, depicts a multi-phase assault: reconnaissance drones hovering over the outpost, aerial drops of explosives causing visible blasts and smoke plumes, and ground-level celebrations.
Key sequences include:
- Aerial Surveillance and Strike: Drone-mounted cameras capture the 3rd Assam Rifles Battalion’s tin-roofed structures amid dense greenery, followed by synchronized bomb drops at 4:15 a.m., igniting fires and scattering personnel. Explosions are highlighted with red overlays to emphasize “surgical” precision.
- Post-Attack Reprisal: Militants regroup in camouflage, firing celebratory rounds, with PLA banners proclaiming “Operation Lang Ol Success – Long Live RPF/PLA.”
- Honoring Ceremony: The video shifts to Min Thar camp in Myanmar’s Sagaing Division, where attackers receive accolades from PLA commanders. Cadres pose with assault rifles under red flags bearing the hammer-and-sickle emblem.
The claim introduces drones as the primary weapon—a departure from initial reports of grenades and small-arms fire—aligning with PLA’s prior documented use of UAVs in 2023 attacks on Kuki villages like T. Lailoiphai and G. Songgel. Experts note this could indicate tech transfers from Myanmar’s People’s Defence Force (PDF) rebels, who have weaponized commercial drones since 2021.
#BreakingNews
🚨Myanmar-based Meitei Terrorist PLA have taken credit for the attack on Assam Rifles outpost at Saibol-Maringthel (BP-86) near the Indo-Myanmar border.
In the attack, Meitei Terrorists launched drone strikes to surgically drop bombs on the Assam Rifles personnel… https://t.co/sFQsywFynl pic.twitter.com/s1pz8kGLUz— J Shakur (@JShakurB) December 11, 2025
The PLA: Roots and Resurgence
Formed in 1978 as a Marxist-Leninist outfit seeking Manipur’s secession, the PLA—politically fronted by the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF)—has evolved into a core VBIG, dominating Imphal Valley operations. Unlike Naga or Kuki groups in peace talks, PLA rejects negotiations, funding itself via extortion and narco-trafficking from Myanmar bases.
Post-2021 Myanmar coup, PLA cadres have allied opportunistically with the junta for training, enabling bolder strikes like the September 2025 Nambol ambush, which killed two Assam Rifles personnel. Security estimates place the group’s active cadre strength at 200–300, with splinter factions like KCP and PREPAK. Recent arrests—15 cadres in October 2025 linked to the Nambol attack—highlight internal fractures, including “contract killings” for political gain.
Min Thar: A Persistent Cross-Border Menace
The video’s climax at Min Thar, a fortified VBIG stronghold in Myanmar’s Mu Se Township, Sagaing Division, exposes a glaring security vulnerability. Located 1.45 km from Manipur’s border, the camp spans multiple structures amid paddy fields, serving as a launchpad for infiltrations.
- Occupancy: 800–1,000 Meitei militants (PLA, UNLF, allies)
- Function: Training, arms storage, launchpad for attacks; post-op safe haven
- Defenses: Fortified bunkers, anti-drone measures; junta-backed
- Threat Level: High; enables rapid strikes on Manipur security forces
Google Maps overlays in the footage pinpoint its proximity to Saibol, with dirt tracks facilitating quick exfiltrations. Analysts warn Min Thar embodies an “urgent threat” to India’s integrity, fueling ethnic violence that has displaced 70,000 since 2023. Indian drone strikes on similar camps (e.g., ULFA/PLA sites in July 2025) signal Delhi’s growing intolerance of cross-border militancy.
Implications: Escalation Amid Ethnic Fractures
This PLA claim arrives as Manipur remains under President’s Rule, with over 260 deaths from Meitei-Kuki clashes since May 2023. PLA’s drone assertion, if verified, heralds a tactical shift, mirroring Myanmar’s civil war innovations and challenging Assam Rifles’ border patrols.
Kuki groups describe it as “revenge” for alleged Meitei drone bombings on their villages, deepening ethnic divides. Security responses include heightened surveillance and joint operations with Myanmar, though experts urge border fencing and disruption of VBIG financing.
As PLA’s video rallies recruits with cries of “Long Live Revolution,” the ambush exposes the fragility of peace in India’s Northeast—where rhetoric of resilience masks a brewing storm across the fence.
