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Seven injured in fresh Manipur gunfight; ethnic tension escalates in Ukhrul
The injured people include six Tangkhul Naga individuals and one Kuki person; on April 28, three Tangkhul Naga individuals were injured in a similar gunfight in Ringui village.
At least seven people were injured in a fresh gunfight between armed groups of the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities in Ringui village of Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Monday, officials said.
Police said the gunfight erupted at around 5am when suspected armed Kuki militants allegedly launched an attack on Ringui, a Tangkhul Naga village located around 25km from Luichong Maiphei (LM) police station.
At least seven people were injured in the exchange of fire, including six Tangkhul Naga individuals and one Kuki individual.
Police officials told HT at around 3 pm that “the gunfight is continuing and we are not able to reach the spot. However, necessary steps will be taken up to control the gunfight. We also heard gunshots from sophisticated assault rifles, but which armed group is using is yet to be confirmed”.
Officials said the six injured Tangkhul Naga individuals are undergoing treatment at Ukhrul district hospital. They have been identified as Horchan (26), Shairei (33), Ngashanchui Sayai (28) of Ramva village; Themzam (35) of Tashar village; Chinaoya (36) of Phalee village; and Thotreingam (39) of Leiyaram village, all from Ukhrul district.
Meanwhile, the Ringui Village Protection Committee condemned what it described as repeated unprovoked attacks allegedly carried out by Kuki militants under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact.
The committee said that “at around 4.40am, the armed Kuki terrorist attacked members of the Naga Village Guard (NVG) during their routine monitoring duties.” It alleged the use of sophisticated weapons stationed at multiple bunkers in and around Ringui Horei hills and Hamsan in Ukhrul district.
Terming the attack “barbaric and terrorising acts”, the committee called upon authorities to immediately investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a counter-allegation, the Kuki CSO working committee, a Kuki civil body, accused the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)-Eastern Flank faction of launching the attack, claiming the group attempted to enter Kuki-inhabited areas through the Tongou sector near the Kampa range.
According to the committee, one volunteer sustained critical injuries in the incident, though officials could not confirm the identity.
The latest violence comes amid a series of clashes in the district. On April 28, three Tangkhul Naga individuals were injured in a similar gunfight in Ringui village.
Tensions in Ukhrul have persisted since February following a clash between youths of the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities, which escalated into widespread violence, with over 50 houses, including government structures, set ablaze.
On April 18, two Tangkhul Naga civilians were killed in an ambush en route from Imphal to Ukhrul, allegedly by suspected Kuki militants. On April 24, three armed individuals — two Kuki and one Tangkhul Naga — were killed in twin gunfights in Sinakeithei village.
In a separate incident, a 63-year-old woman, identified as Puspa Devi, a resident of Toribari in West Bengal currently living in Charhajare, Kangpokpi, was found murdered on the night of May 3.
Officials said unidentified assailants allegedly entered her house around 10 pm, hacked her to death and looted gold, cash and other valuables. The victim lived with her mentally challenged brother and had no immediate dependents.
A team from Sapermeina police station reached the spot on Monday morning and began an investigation. Police said a kitchen knife was recovered near the body.
The body has been sent to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, for autopsy.
The Manipur Gorkha Welfare Union condemned the killing, calling it a “barbaric and inhuman crime reflecting grave disregard for human life” and demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators.
