At least six individuals sustained injuries during a clash involving armed members of two different communities in Manipur’s Ukhrul district. The incident occurred between Sinakethei and Mullam villages. Details about the confrontation are still awaited, according to a police official in Imphal. Among the injured, three are from the Kuki community, while the other three belong to the Naga community.
Mullam village, predominantly inhabited by the Kuki community, is an isolated settlement in Ukhrul district, surrounded by Naga villages. In contrast, Sinakethei village is situated approximately five kilometers away. The Mullam village authority released a statement accusing “Tangkhul militants” of launching an armed attack on the village. The statement claimed that on Friday, Tangkhul Naga militants carried out a severe armed assault on the villagers.
The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) strongly denounced what it described as a brutal and unprovoked attack on the peaceful Kuki-inhabited villages of Mullam and Songphel. The organization’s statement highlighted that the villagers first heard blank gunfire, which seemed to be a tactic to instill fear and confusion among civilians. Subsequently, heavily armed militants reportedly launched a coordinated and premeditated assault on the villages.
The KWOHR emphasized that the attack resulted in damage to at least 15 houses, injuries to six civilians due to indiscriminate firing, and the tragic loss of two lives. The organization condemned these acts as inhumane, unlawful, and cowardly, emphasizing that violence against unarmed civilians constitutes a serious violation of human rights and cannot be accepted under any circumstances.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by ethnic violence in the Kuki-Zo community-dominated Churachandpur district staged a sit-in protest on Friday. The IDPs, including women from various parts of the district, gathered at the Wall of Remembrance in Tuibong to demonstrate. They demanded equal treatment for camped and non-camped IDPs and inclusive relief measures as per the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and NDMA guidelines.
