At least four cadres of the proscribed United Kuki National Army (UKNA) — an outfit not under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact — were killed in an encounter with security forces in Churachandpur district of strife-hit Manipur on Tuesday morning.
A statement from the defence public relations officer said the encounter occurred during an “intelligence-based operation” when “terrorists resorted to unprovoked firing on the Army column at Khanpi village, about 80km west of Churachandpur.” The district is a Kuki-Zo majority area.
“In the ensuing firefight, four armed cadres of UKNA were neutralised,” the statement said, adding that operations were still underway. It said the action followed “recent atrocities by UKNA cadres, including killing of a village chief, intimidation of locals, and attempts to disrupt peace.”
The tripartite SoO pact — first signed in 2008 between the Centre, the Manipur government and two Kuki-Zo umbrella groups, the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) — was extended in September for a year under “re-negotiated terms.” There are 24 outfits under the two umbrellas, but the UKNA is not part of them.
Sources in Churachandpur said the encounter began around 5.30am. A case under the Arms Act has been registered and the bodies of the four militants have been kept at the district hospital morgue for identification and further legal formalities.
The incident follows the October 27 killing of the T. Khonomphai village chief, allegedly by UKNA. The banned group had earlier claimed responsibility for the June 30 killing of three members of another Kuki-Zo outfit.
The defence statement said the “successful neutralisation” underscored the army and Assam Rifles’ commitment to protecting civilians and ensuring peace in Manipur.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of Kukis, condemned the killings, saying “targeted actions” undermine trust and peace efforts. It urged authorities to act with “sensitivity and impartiality.”
A UKNA statement condemned the killings, claiming its cadres were “not against the Indian Army” and reaffirmed its demand for a separate Kuki-Zo administration in Manipur — a demand that has persisted since the May 2023 ethnic conflict that
left 260 dead and over 60,000 displaced.
Kuki-Zo organisations and MLAs have been demanding separate administration in the form of a Union Territory (UT) for the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur after the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos erupted on May 3, 2023, leaving at least 260 dead and over 60,000 displaced. The encounter has seen the UKNA raise the demand once again.