A banned insurgent group in the Northeast, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), has released a video claiming that it carried out a drone attack on an Assam Rifles camp along the Manipur–Myanmar border. Security officials, however, have described the video as propaganda and said the equipment used was basic and low-tech.
The 6 minute and 56 second video was released online on December 11 and claims to show a drone dropping an explosive device on a temporary Assam Rifles camp in Tengnoupal district. According to official records, the incident took place on November 28. Four Assam Rifles personnel were injured in the incident and were later reported to be stable.
After the incident, the Army had stated that an Assam Rifles patrolling party came under fire from militants in the early hours along the India–Myanmar border. The troops retaliated immediately, while taking care to ensure civilian safety. Additional forces were also moved into the area and search operations were launched. 
Officials said the drone shown in the video appeared to be a commercially available device that had been locally assembled. The explosives used were described as crude and not of high quality. “It was rudimentary equipment and could not cause serious damage. The injured personnel suffered only minor shrapnel injuries,” a senior government official said.
The PLA is a Meitei insurgent group that operates from bases across the border in Myanmar. The outfit has been banned since 1979 and seeks Manipur’s secession from India. According to security agencies, the group has been weakened in recent months due to sustained counter-insurgency operations.
A senior official said the release of the video was an attempt by the group to regain attention and influence. “After recent arrests and combing operations, this appears to be an effort to create fear and rebuild its presence,” the official said.
Following the ambush in Nambol on September 19, in which two Assam Rifles personnel were killed, security forces intensified operations against the group. Several PLA cadres were arrested during these operations. The PLA has also claimed responsibility for that ambush in its video.
The September 19 attack was the first targeted strike against central forces in Manipur since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. The state was placed under President’s Rule on February 13 this year.
In its statement, the PLA claimed support from other banned outfits, including NSCN (K-YA) and ULFA (I), and said it carried out multiple attacks on Assam Rifles camps between September 19 and December 10.
