Imphal: Fresh violence was reported from Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Monday after unidentified armed men allegedly opened fire on civilians working in farmlands in the Litan area, injuring at least one person.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. at Langthai Mol farmlands under Mongkot Chepu village. Local residents said the gunfire appeared to have originated from nearby elevated terrain, triggering panic and forcing people in the fields to flee.
A young woman from the Kuki community sustained a bullet injury, though her condition had not been officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
The Kuki Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Working Committee in Ukhrul condemned the incident, describing it as a targeted attack on civilians. The group said villagers, including women, were engaged in routine agricultural activities when they came under what it termed indiscriminate firing. It also claimed that more than 20 people were stranded in the fields during the incident and called for immediate intervention to ensure their safety.
The committee urged authorities to halt the firing, carry out rescue operations, secure the Ukhrul highway and initiate combing operations to disarm those responsible.
However, the Central Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Foothills Organisation (TNFO) rejected these allegations, terming them misleading. It said the activity in the area involved the construction of bunkers and defensive structures by Kuki volunteers, allegedly under the Suspension of Operations framework, and disputed claims that those present were solely engaged in farming.
The TNFO also cautioned against the circulation of unverified information, warning that conflicting narratives could further aggravate tensions in the region.
A video purportedly from the site, circulating on social media, shows a man alleging that the firing originated from a bunker near a Tangkhul Naga-inhabited village. Its authenticity could not be independently verified by Northeast Now.
Officials have yet to issue a detailed statement on the incident, and there is no official confirmation regarding those involved or the sequence of events.
The episode highlights the fragile security situation in the foothill areas of Ukhrul, where tensions remain high amid competing claims and concerns over civilian safety.