Fresh violence broke out in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Tuesday morning following the alleged assault of a member of the Tangkhul Naga community, triggering arson, gunfire and large-scale displacement of villagers. In response to the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the state government suspended internet services in the district for five days and imposed a curfew.
According to police, armed men set fire to several abandoned houses and fired multiple rounds in the Litan Sareikhong area of Ukhrul. The violence erupted a day after two Tangkhul Naga organisations imposed restrictions on the movement of Kukis in Ukhrul and the neighbouring Kamjong district.
“Armed men set ablaze abandoned houses and fired several rounds of bullets at Litan Sareikhong. The situation remains tense, and security forces are trying to bring it under control,” a police officer said.
As the situation escalated, the Manipur government ordered the suspension of all internet services, including broadband, VPN and VSAT facilities, across the revenue jurisdiction of Ukhrul district. Officials said the move was taken as a preventive and precautionary measure to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation.
Videos circulating on social media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the hill areas, reportedly from houses set on fire. Residents who fled their homes later confronted security personnel, alleging that they failed to prevent the firing and arson in the area.
Officials said hundreds of villagers belonging to both the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities—mostly women, children and elderly people—have been fleeing Litan Sareikhong and nearby villages over the past two days in search of safety.
“Several villagers have taken shelter at Motbung and in parts of Saikul in the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district,” an official said, adding that others have moved to safer locations within Ukhrul district.
Manipur minister Govindas Konthoujam said on Monday that at least 21 houses had been burnt in the violence and that the situation continued to remain tense. He added that additional security forces had been deployed in and around the affected areas to prevent further escalation.
In a related incident, police said two drivers who were stranded at Lamlai Chingphei Kuki village under Litan police station limits after their trucks broke down were rescued on Monday and escorted to safety.
Meanwhile, the two Tangkhul Naga organisations—Katho Long and Katho Katamnao Long—have announced a ban on the movement of Kukis in Ukhrul and adjoining Kamjong district, a development that officials fear could further inflame tensions.
Authorities said they are closely monitoring the situation and have appealed to community leaders and residents to maintain peace as security forces work to restore normalcy in the violence-hit region.
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