Imphal: Four cadres of the banned United Kuki National Army (UKNA) were killed in an encounter with the Army in the Churachandpur district of Manipur early on Tuesday. The operation is still underway and cordon and search operations are being carried out in the area, an official said.
Security forces had launched Operation Khanpi after UKNA terrorists carried out atrocities in the area. They killed a village chief and have been intimidating locals with an attempt to extort money. Their presence in Churachandpur that lies close to the Meitei-populated valley districts, was also posing a major threat to peace in the state that has witnessed violent ethnic clashes over the last two years, resulting in nearly 250 deaths.
“During an intelligence-based operation, the terrorists resorted to unprovoked firing on the Army column at the Khanpi village, about 80 km to the west of Churachandpur town. In the ensuing firefight between the security forces and armed UKNA cadres, four terrorists were neutralised,” a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said.
“The successful neutralisation of these terrorists highlights the commitment of the Army and Assam Rifles to protect innocent civilians, mitigate all threats and ensure peace and security in Manipur,” he added.
In June this year, UKNA claimed responsibility for an ambush in Churachandpur district that left four people, including a 72-year-old woman dead. The UKNA cadres were targeting a car in which three members of the Kuki National Army (KNA) were traveling. The ambush took place near Mongjang village, about five km from Churachandpur town.
The KNA is the armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation and one of the 20-odd Kuki rebel groups that signed the Suspension of Operation (SOO) pact with the central and state governments in 2008.
The UKNA is not a signatory to the pact that has been extended periodically thereafter. The Manipur government, however, pulled out of the agreement in 2023, but it still holds between the central government and the insurgent outfits. Under this agreement, insurgents are not to venture out of their camps with weapons that are kept under double lock.
