Imphal, March 23: A Kuki civil society organisation has strongly condemned an armed attack on villagers in Ukhrul district, where gunmen opened fire on civilians engaged in farming on March 23, leaving at least one young girl injured and more than 20 people stranded in fields.
The Kuki CSO Working Committee said armed Tangkhul volunteers targeted villagers at the Lengthei Mol farming area near Mongkot Chepu at around 1:07 pm. The attackers reportedly fired from a hilltop position across the Thoubal River, opposite Lilen, with the firing continuing at the time of the statement.
The group described the incident as a “grave and inhumane act”, stating that civilians, including women, were trapped in open fields amid the gunfire. It also warned that the ongoing firing posed a serious risk to commuters along the Ukhrul highway, with stray bullets endangering passing vehicles.
The latest violence adds to rising tensions along the Litan–Shangkai stretch of NH-202, a critical route connecting residents of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts. The situation has remained volatile since an arson incident in Litan in February, followed by an indefinite blockade imposed by sections of the Kuki community on March 13 after two bodies were recovered from Thawai forest.
Officials have reported multiple gunfights in recent days across locations including Sirarakhong, Sinakeithei and Mongkot Chepu, describing the pattern as a possible coordinated escalation. Earlier, security forces had dismantled bunkers in the area and recovered spent ammunition.
The committee has placed four key demands before authorities, including an immediate halt to the firing, rescue of stranded villagers, securing of the Ukhrul highway, and urgent combing operations in vulnerable locations. It also called for strict action against those responsible, warning that failure to respond decisively could further endanger civilian lives.
