More than 500 personnel of Manipur Police and Central forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Noney district on Thursday, November 5, following a gunfight between suspected rival Naga militant groups that left three people dead and two others injured.
The joint operation began around 3.30 am in Nungba and Kekru Naga areas, involving district police, the CRPF, CoBRA and Assam Rifles. Security personnel were checking the identities of residents, officials said.
The gunfight erupted around 4 am on Wednesday at Taodaijang village in the Khoupum area. Officials said the exchange of fire involved cadres suspected to belong to rival Naga militant outfits, including the Zeliangrong United Front (Jenchui).
Local residents later recovered three bodies from the site. The ZUF (Jenchui) claimed that two of the deceased, identified as M Thaimei and G Kamson, were its members.
The outfit alleged that the clash involved the NSCN (IM), ZUF (Kamson faction) and NSCN-K (Niki Sumi). These claims have not been independently verified.
The third deceased was identified as Aihung Khumba, a resident of Pungmon Chingchen village. His organisational affiliation was not immediately known.
Following the incident, local residents, including women, visited the area and appealed to the armed cadres to stop firing through a public address system in an effort to prevent further violence.
Security forces have intensified search operations to verify residents’ identities and prevent further clashes.
