Ukhrul, April 28, 2026: At least four members of the Naga Village Guards (NVG) were reportedly injured during a gunfight between Kuki and Tangkhul Naga groups in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Tuesday, amid continuing tensions in the area.
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According to local sources, the clash occurred around 10:30 AM near the Ringui Horei area under Ringui village and continued until about 6 PM. The injured, identified as Tangkhul Naga village volunteers, were evacuated to Ukhrul District Hospital for treatment.
In a statement, the Ringui Village Protection Committee (RVPC) condemned what it described as an “unprovoked attack” allegedly carried out by Kuki militants operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement. The committee claimed the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons and targeted Naga Village Guards who were monitoring the area.
The committee warned that repeated incidents of violence could escalate tensions between the Kuki and Naga communities into a broader conflict, threatening peace and communal harmony in Manipur. It also said the gunfire created widespread panic among villagers and left civilians living in fear of stray bullets, property damage and possible displacement.
Meanwhile, the Kuki CSO Working Committee (WCKCSOs) presented a different account of the incident. In a statement, the body said Kuki village volunteers were conducting a preventive patrol along the Kampa Mol (Mount Compass) ridges - described as shared cultivated land of several Kuki villages - when they encountered armed Tangkhul militants in the border area between the communities.
The committee said the confrontation led to an exchange of fire around 11:10 AM but claimed there were no immediate reports of casualties from their side. It maintained that the patrol was carried out within Kuki territory to secure their land and protect civilians amid what it described as repeated threats and incursions.
Later in the evening, around 7 PM, reports also emerged of heavy firing in and around Sinakeithei village in the Lungter mountain range involving the same groups, though no casualties were reported in that incident.
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Ukhrul district has witnessed recurring unrest since February following a drunken brawl between youths from the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities that escalated into violence. The clashes resulted in more than 50 houses and government structures being burned.
In recent weeks, tensions have further intensified. On April 18, two Tangkhul Naga civilians were killed in an ambush while travelling from Imphal to Ukhrul, allegedly by suspected Kuki militants. Subsequently, on April 24, three armed individuals - two from the Kuki community and one Tangkhul Naga - were killed in a gunfight at Sinakeithei village in the district.
