Imphal, Jan 8: A brief exchange of gunfire between two armed groups was reported on January 8 in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, triggering heightened security deployment in adjoining areas, officials said. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning, added to the prevailing tension in the state that has been grappling with prolonged ethnic unrest.
According to official accounts, suspected cadres of the banned Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF–S Kamson faction) were allegedly attempting to destroy illegal poppy plantations at Kharam Vaiphei when they came under fire from armed Kuki underground groups. The gunfight reportedly lasted for a short period before subsiding on its own, with no casualties reported from either side.
As a precautionary measure, security forces were rushed to nearby and peripheral locations to prevent any escalation. The sound of gunfire caused panic among residents in villages along the Imphal West district boundary, an area that had earlier witnessed intense violence during the ethnic clashes of 2023 and 2024.
In a statement issued later, ZUF (S Kamson) claimed the exchange of fire took place around 7.40 am at Kharam Vaiphei. The group alleged that the area was being used for unlawful activities, including large-scale illegal poppy cultivation and the presence of underground camps linked to Kuki groups under the Suspension of Operations arrangement.
Manipur continues to remain on edge following the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023. More than 260 people have lost their lives so far in clashes largely involving the Meitei and Kuki communities. The unrest was triggered after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status, a dispute that has since evolved into one of the most serious internal security challenges faced by the state in recent years.
