Imphal: Four people, including a senior leader of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen near Mongjang village in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Monday afternoon, police said.
The victims included Thangboi Haokip, alias Thahpi, who was allegedly serving as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the KNO, the political wing of the Kuki National Army (KNA).
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He was travelling in a white car along with two others when they were ambushed by heavily armed assailants around 3 PM on Jesami Road, approximately 10 km from Churachandpur town.
According to officials, the assailants fired multiple rounds at close range. All three men in the vehicle suffered fatal bullet injuries to the head. A Kuki-Zo tribal woman, who was walking nearby, was also struck by stray bullets and later succumbed to her injuries while being rushed to the hospital.
Local police teams reached the site shortly after the attack and recovered several empty bullet casings.
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The bodies of the deceased have been sent to the Churachandpur District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem. A case has been registered and forensic evidence collected from the scene has been submitted for further investigation.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The KNO/KNA is one of 25 Kuki-Zo underground organisations currently under a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Indian government. The sudden and violent killing of one of its top commanders is likely to heighten tensions in the already volatile region.