Three Killed in Gunfights Between Naga and Kuki Armed Groups in Manipur's Ukhrul District

GUWAHATI: Three persons — one Tangkhul Naga and two Kuki-Zo — were shot dead, and at least five other Kuki-Zo, including women, were injured in two separate gunfights between rival Naga and Kuki armed groups in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday morning. Simultaneously, a faction of the NSCN, the NSCN (Aleng Group), claimed to have killed five cadres of Myanmar’s Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) in Kamjong district. No official confirmation of this claim was immediately available.

Among those killed in Ukhrul district was a 29-year-old Tangkhul Naga, Horshokmi Jamang. According to the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) working committee, Jamang was killed by armed Kuki militants under the suspension of operations agreement in an ambush near Sinakeithei village early on Friday. It said Jamang was a member of the Naga village guards, which was patrolling Sinakeithei due to ongoing disturbances when the ambush occurred.

The Naga village guard (NVG) central command, late in the evening, issued a clarification refuting Kuki claims of an attack on Mullam by Tangkhul Naga volunteers. It said apart from Jamang’s death, four other volunteers were severely injured in the incident.

The two Kuki deceased, whose bodies were found by security forces near Mullam village in the district, have been identified as Paominlun Haolai (19) and Letlal Sitlhou (43). The Bungi-Ihan defence committee in Kangpokpi district said they were Kuki-Zo village volunteers who died defending Mullam village from an attack by Tangkhul militants.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur, in a statement, said early Friday morning, Mullam village came under armed attack by Tangkhul militants. It claimed that besides the two Kuki village volunteers being killed, 17 houses were burnt, several villagers were injured, and many others, including women and children, were displaced.

Adding to the tensions, the NSCN (Aleng Group) claimed that five KNA-B cadres had entered India with plans to attack local villages. The NSCN group claimed the five militants were "eliminated" in retaliation for the April 18 killing of two Naga men near TM Kasom village and recent firing incidents.

There is no official confirmation of these claims, but a video showing five men held captive and blindfolded has been circulating on social media. The KNA-B, in a statement from Myanmar’s Sagaing region, dismissed reports linking its soldiers to the video showing blindfolded youths being targeted. It called the allegations "baseless and false", blaming "miscreants" for spreading disinformation.

The KNA-B is primarily based in northwestern Myanmar, in areas bordering Manipur. Unlike its Indian counterpart, the KNA in Manipur — which operates under a SoO agreement with the Centre — the KNA-B is a combatant force active on the Myanmar side of the border.