1. Tragic clash in Churachandpur: Gunfight erupts between Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers and Arambai Tengol-Valley Insurgent groups.
2. Four casualties were reported from the Valley Insurgent groups in the intense confrontation at Haotak Phailen village.
3. Incident occurred in the village’s forest, situated on the outskirts of Churachandpur district.
Churachandpur, Jam 11: In a tragic incident in the outskirts of Churachandpur district, a fierce gunfight ensued between the Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers and the combined forces of Arambai Tengol and Valley Insurgent groups, leading to the death of four individuals from the valley groups at Haotak Phailen village.
The confrontation unfolded in the forest of Haotak Phailen village, located 38 km away from the district headquarters and near the Meiteis. The Arambai Tengols and their supporters, based in Tampha Khunou, a neighboring village northeast of Haotak Phailen, were reportedly engaged in illegal firewood cutting in the village’s forest.
Acting on reports of this unauthorized activity, village volunteers swiftly intervened to disperse them.
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The attempt to thwart the illegal activity resulted in an intense gunfight at 2:30 PM, lasting over an hour.
According to local sources, four militants from the valley groups lost their lives in the exchange, with no reported casualties from the side of Haotak Phailen village volunteers.
The source expressed concerns about the valley-based media’s alleged reluctance to disclose the deaths of insurgents and Arambai Tengols operating illegally within Kuki-Zo areas.
The incident in Haotak Phailen follows a series of gunfights between unidentified gunmen and alleged insurgents in state forces’ uniforms in Moreh.
Locals in Moreh reported that, in the gunfight on January 8, two alleged insurgents in state forces’ uniforms were killed, a development supposedly unreported by valley-based media groups, as per the source.
Manipur has been grappling with persistent violence, with the death toll reaching 200 over the past eight months. The recent surge in violence in the Moreh and Churachandpur districts raises concerns about potential further instability in the region.
