GG News Bureau
Churachandpur, 30th June: In a major escalation of intra-group violence in Manipur, the deputy chief of the Kuki National Army (KNA), a faction under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), was shot dead on Monday in an ambush reportedly carried out by a rival Kuki insurgent group.
The ambush took place around 2 pm in Mongjang village in Churachandpur district and claimed four lives — including three members of the KNA and a 72-year-old woman bystander. Sources confirmed the deceased insurgent leader as Thenkhothang Haokip alias Thahpi, 48, the deputy chief of KNA. The other two KNA operatives killed were identified as Seikhogin (34) and Lengouhao (35), the latter being the son-in-law of KNO chief PS Haokip.
The trio was reportedly travelling in a white SUV when unidentified gunmen opened fire in a targeted attack. The bystander, Phalhing, a resident of Koite village, was caught in the crossfire and died on the spot.
A statement, purportedly from the United Kuki National Liberation Army (UKNA) and circulating widely on WhatsApp groups, claimed responsibility for the ambush. The UKNA accused the KNA of killing one of its leaders and over 30 of its members, calling the attack an act of retaliation.
The UKNA is not a signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement — a ceasefire deal signed by the KNO and the United People’s Front (UPF), the two umbrella organisations representing 17 tribal insurgent groups in Manipur. Under the SoO, militants are required to stay in designated camps with their weapons kept in secure storage, monitored by security forces.
The police have cordoned off the area but have yet to issue an official statement. Security has been heightened across Churachandpur amid fears of further clashes.
Earlier this year, on March 8, the Assam Rifles destroyed a UKNA camp in Henglep village, also in Churachandpur. The camp was allegedly hidden in a forested area, according to the army. Tensions between various Kuki factions have been on the rise in the region, even as the Centre continues talks with the KNO and UPF over their demand for a separate administration or Union Territory status carved out of parts of Manipur.
