New Delhi, July 15 -- A breakaway NSCN(IM) faction which operates from Myanmar's Sagaing region is suspected to have carried out the attacks in which three Assam Rifles personnel were killed over the last one week, people aware of the matter said even as security forces detained three people who may be connected with the July 6 ambush. The people said that the unprovoked attacks on security forces could be related from the ongoing Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur and the rivalry between the leaders of the faction, Eastern Flank, and NSCN(IM) over dominance in Manipur's Naga areas. "An intelligence-based operation has been launched by security forces in the areas of TM Kasom, Litan and Sikibung to arrest the perpetrators of the ambush on security forces in Ukhrul district on July 6. Three persons have been detained," Manipur Police said in a statement. The Eastern Flank is a breakaway faction of the NSCN(IM) that operates across the border and is not engaged in a framework agreement with the Centre, unlike the NSCN(IM). The group is commanded by self-styled Lieutenant General (retired) HS Ramsan and self-styled Lieutenant General (retired) A Raman, who were expelled from the NSCN(IM), ten days before the attack. HT has a copy of the expulsion letters for the two leaders. Their titles were stripped and the cadres under the two SS leaders(who form the Eastern Flank) were told to report back to the Camp Hebron headquarters in Nagaland. "The modus operandi in both cases is similar. The militants used low-to medium-intensity explosive devices. Both attacks took place during the day around the same time -- between 1:30 and 2 pm. Though police are yet to identify or deny involvement of any group, this definitely does not appear to be the modus operandi of the NSCN(IM)," an officer who asked not to be named said. An officer aware of the matter said that planting IEDs is usually the modus operandi of ULFA, the Naxals and some Meitei insurgent groups. "Before these incidents, the Assam Rifles personnel were last ambushed on September 19, 2025 in which two AR jawans died," he said....