Gunfight in Ukhrul leaves 7 injured

A fresh gunfight broke out early Monday morning in the troubled Litan area of Manipur’s Ukhrul district, leaving at least seven people injured.
According to reports, the clash started around 4 a.m. in the Horei Kaphung area of Ringui village. This comes less than two weeks after a similar incident on April 24, when three people were killed.
Five of the injured are members of the Naga Village Guards. They have been identified as Themzam Tashar, Horchan Ramva, Chinaoya Phalee, Thotreingam Leiyaram, and Shairei Ramva. Two others, who claimed to be Kuki village volunteers, were also injured, but their identities are not yet confirmed.
The Ringui Village Protection Committee (RVPC) said the firing began when suspected Kuki militants opened fire on Naga Village Guards who were on duty. The group also claimed that armed men have been staying in bunkers in the area and have carried out repeated attacks on villagers. It has asked authorities to take immediate action.
In another statement, the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) blamed Kuki militants for the attack and questioned the role of central security forces. The group said such incidents have happened even after security operations in the area and called the attack planned.
The apex body also expressed concern, saying Naga communities in several districts, including Ukhrul, are facing serious threats. It claimed that the situation is not just a law-and-order issue but a targeted attack by armed groups.
“What we face is not a breakdown of civic order, but an undeclared offensive carried out against the Naga people by armed groups under the Suspension of Operation framework, with the involvement of sections of the Assam Rifles,” it stated while highlighting details of the prevailing conditions in the Naga dominated districts in Manipur. However, the Kuki CSO working committee, Ukhrul, gave a different version of the incident. It accused NSCN-Eastern Flank (EF) cadres of initiating the violence. It said the violence began around 3 a.m. when armed men tried to enter Kuki-inhabited areas near the Tongou sector near the Kampa range. According to the group, Kuki village volunteers fired back after the intrusion, leading to the clash.
The Kuki CSO working committee also raised concerns over what it described as a pattern of incursions and called for a large-scale combing operation in the Tongou–Ringui belt to prevent further escalation.