3 Killed In Gunfight Between Kuki Insurgent Group, Armed Villagers In Manipur

Three people were killed in a gunfight between a Kuki insurgent group and armed people who were reportedly guarding their village in Manipur's Tengnoupal district, bordering Myanmar, sources said.

The gunfight broke out between insurgents of the United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) and the armed villagers over an internal matter in Tengnoupal's Molnoi, some 50 km from the state capital Imphal, sources said.

The UKLF comes under the umbrella body United Peoples' Front (UPF) that has signed the controversial tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the centre and the state government. The other umbrella body under SoO is the Kuki National Organisation (KNO).

Following the gunfight, a structure belonging to a UKLF leader was set on fire by the armed villagers, local media reported.

A purported statement by the UKLF said it has identified some people who are allegedly responsible for the gunfight, and will take action.

Every year, a joint monitoring group (JMG) reviews the SoO agreement and decides whether to end or renew it. The last review was on February 29 this year. Broadly, the SoO agreement says the insurgents are to stay at designated camps and their weapons kept in locked storage, to be monitored regularly.

The Manipur government in March 2023 announced it had withdrawn from the SoO agreement with the Kuki National Army (KNA), and the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA).

However, only the JMG can decide on such matters, which indicates the state government's move was only a request to the JMG, sources had told NDTV in February this year.