Manipur: Four killed in gunfight between Kuki rebel group, village volunteers in Tengnoupal

In a deadly fratricidal shoot-out in Manipur's Tengnoupal district, four men were killed during a clash between militants and village volunteers from the same community. The local police said, the incident occurred on Friday in the Molnom area, where a gunfight broke out between a militant from the United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) and three village volunteers. The militant and all three volunteers were killed in the exchange of fire.

'What led to the exchange of fire'

While, the officials suspect that the gunfight stemmed from a dispute over control of levy in the Pallel area, however, another angle to the story is also reportedly being circulated, which include, the gunfight broke in retaliation to the abduction of Kuki village volunteers' home secretary, Heigin Baite on July 10. Moreover, no official details regarding the clash have so far been released by the authorities.

Moreover, in regards to the incident, it is also pertinent to note that villagers set fire to the residence of UKLF's self-styled chairman, S S Haokip, in retaliation to the incident.

'Situation under control' 

Further, following the incident, security forces conducted search operations in the area, but no arrests have been made so far. Authorities have stated that the situation is now under control, though the underlying tensions remain.

Significantly, this latest outbreak of violence adds to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, which has seen more than 200 people killed and thousands displaced since May last year. The conflict primarily involves clashes between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and the Kuki community from the adjoining hills, exacerbating the already volatile situation in the region.

(With inputs from PTI)

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