Imphal: A gunfight erupted between two armed groups in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday morning, triggering tension in surrounding areas but leaving no one injured, officials said.
According to officials, suspected cadres of the banned Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF–S Kamson) were carrying out an operation to destroy alleged illicit poppy cultivation at Kharam Vaiphei when they came under fire from armed Kuki underground groups.
The exchange of fire later ceased, and no casualties were reported.
Additional security forces were deployed to the peripheral areas to prevent any further escalation of the situation.
The sound of gunfire caused panic among residents of villages along the fringes of Imphal West district, which borders Kangpokpi. The area has previously witnessed major armed clashes between Kuki and Meitei groups in 2023 and 2024.
In a statement, ZUF–S Kamson claimed that its cadres were involved in a gunfight with armed Kuki groups at around 7.40 am at Kharam Vaiphei. The outfit alleged that the area has seen unlawful activities, including illicit poppy cultivation and the establishment of underground camps by Kuki Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups.
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Manipur has remained tense since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023, resulting in the deaths of more than 260 people so far. The violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
