Ukhrul district, Manipur was rocked by deadly inter-community violence on Friday, April 25, as armed clashes between groups belonging to the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki-Zo communities left at least three people dead and several others injured in multiple firing incidents. Security forces recovered bodies and initiated area domination operations as the conflict threatened to further destabilise one of Manipur's most sensitive border districts.

What Happened in Mullam and Sinakeithei Villages

In the vicinity of Mullam village, police personnel recovered the bodies of two individuals identified as L. Sitlhou and P. Haolai, both found wearing camouflage attire and bearing bullet wounds. A fierce exchange of gunfire had erupted in the area earlier that morning, and multiple houses in the mountainous village were set on fire during the violence.

In a separate but related incident, the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) confirmed that a Naga Village Guard (NVG) named Horshokmi Jamang, aged 29, was shot dead by armed Kuki militants in Sinakeithei village, also within Ukhrul district. His body was subsequently recovered by community members.

Competing Narratives: Who Attacked Whom

The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) issued a strong condemnation, describing the assault on the Kuki villages of Mullam and Shongphal as a cowardly armed attack by an armed Tangkhul Naga group. The organisation alleged that the assault was premeditated and targeted unarmed civilians including women and children while they were asleep.

The KWOHR stated that Kuki villagers exercised their lawful right to self-defence using licensed hunting weapons, repelling the attackers and neutralising one assailant. It further characterised the incident as part of a disturbing and continuing pattern of aggression by armed Tangkhul elements against indigenous Kuki-Zo communities.

On the other side, the NVG Central Command flatly denied that Tangkhul Naga volunteers initiated any attack on Mullam. It stated that NVG personnel deployed between Sinakeithei and Sirarakhong were on patrol duty following repeated attacks on Sinakeithei and intelligence reports about suspicious movements by Kuki armed cadres operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework. The NVG claimed its personnel came under heavy fire first, resulting in Jamang's death and serious injuries to four other volunteers, before they retaliated in self-defence.

Broader Context: Ukhrul's Escalating Crisis

Ukhrul district shares an inter-state border with Nagaland and an international border with Myanmar and is predominantly inhabited by the Tangkhul Naga community. It has witnessed a sharp spike in violence since February 2025, emerging as one of the most troubled zones in the state.

The United Naga Council (UNC) had already called for a total shutdown across all Naga-inhabited areas starting midnight of April 19, following the killing of two Naga civilians including a retired Indian Army personnel on April 18 in Ukhrul, allegedly by suspected Kuki militants.

The Global Naga Forum (GNF) also condemned what it described as an ambush killing of two Tangkhul Naga civilians along National Highway-2 in Ukhrul, attributing the attack to Kuki militants. The GNF warned that certain Kuki groups are allegedly attempting to politically and geographically isolate the Tangkhul Naga community, framing the conflict as a narrow bilateral dispute rather than a broader long-standing political and territorial contest spanning multiple northeastern states.

Calls for Government Intervention

The GNF urged both the Manipur state government and the Central government to intervene decisively through impartial mediation targeting the root causes of the conflict, rather than relying solely on security force deployment whose neutrality the organisation openly questioned.

Critics note a troubling pattern: Manipur's ethnic violence, which erupted in May 2023 primarily between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, has now drawn in the Naga community in border districts like Ukhrul, threatening to transform a bilateral conflict into a multi-community crisis. The SoO agreement has come under renewed scrutiny, with Naga groups alleging that armed cadres under this framework are being used offensively rather than remaining in designated camps.

What to Watch Next

With the UNC shutdown still active and fresh casualties mounting, pressure is intensifying on the Manipur government under Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the Union Home Ministry to convene emergency talks with all stakeholders. Security analysts warn that unless the Centre moves beyond reactive force deployment to address underlying land, identity, and political representation grievances, Ukhrul could become the next major flashpoint in Manipur's prolonged ethnic crisis, which has already claimed hundreds of lives since May 2023.