KNA’s top leader; woman among 4 killed in ambush claimed by UKNA in Manipur

A top leader of Kuki National Army (KNA) along with his two aides were killed in an ambush in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Monday.
A 62-year-old woman was also killed in the ambush later claimed by KNA’s rival group, United Kuki National Liberation Army (UKNA).
The deadly ambush took place between K Mongjang and Singlun villages where a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire on the in a white SUV in which the top KNA leader was traveling with his two aides today, around 1 pm.
The killed deputy commander-in-chief of KNA was identified as Thenkhothang alias Thahpi (48) while his aides who were also killed in the attack were identified as Seikhogin (34) son of Hellhun of Teising village and Liengouhao Singsit (35) son of Seikholun Chiengkawn.
Lengouhao was the son-in-law of KNO chief PS Haokip.
The 62-year-old woman reportedly killed after being hit by stray bullets was identified as Phalhing (62) wife of Haongam Kipgen of Koite village.
Police as well as local sources said that three individuals, including the deputy commander-in-chief of the KNA, were killed on the spot while the woman who was caught in the crossfire, succumbed to her injuries later.
The local police who rushed to the spot along with the Central security forces recovered around 15 empty cases of 5.56 ammunition during spot inquiry, indicating the use of sophisticated weapons in the ambush. Several bullet-hit marks were found on the car in which the top KNA was travelling with his aides.
At a time the police were investigating to establish the assailants and the group they belonged to, United Kuki National Liberation Army (UKNA), a rival group of the KNA, owned up to the ambush.
The KNA/KNO is one of the two umbrella groups of Kuki based militant groups under the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state government, the other umbrella group being United People’s Front (UPF).
In a statement widely circulated on the internet soon after the ambush, the UKNA said its cadres laid the ambush in revenge for the killing of one of its leaders in October last year and over 30 people by the KNA.
The statement said that Thahpi (deputy C-in-C and his companions were “punished” by the UKNA while alleging that Thahpi had killed its (UKNA) PRO Satkhohao.
Notably, the UKNA is not a signatory to the SoO agreement. On March 8 last, one of its camps in the forested area of Henglep sub-division of Churachandpur was busted by the Assam Rifles.
Soon after the deadly ambush, security forces rushed to the area to launch operations to hunt down the perpetrators behind the ambush.
Security forces have been alerted as the incident has intensified concerns over renewed arms violence in the region, with many fearing a possible escalation in retaliatory attacks.
Meanwhile, many Kuki based CSOs like Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and its Churachandpur branch strongly condemned the incident.