IMPHAL, India — Two cadres of the outlawed United Kuki National Army (UKNA) were killed and two others injured during a heavy exchange of fire with a joint task force of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles in Manipur's Churachandpur district.
The counter-insurgency operation unfolded early near Phaibong village in the Henglep subdivision, following specific intelligence inputs regarding an active UKNA camp where armed personnel were gathered. Security forces established surveillance before launching a tactical approach around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Insurgents opened fire on the advancing troops, prompting retaliatory fire that ultimately neutralized two militants and wounded two others as remaining cadres retreated into the surrounding jungle.
During a subsequent search of the dismantled hideout, security teams recovered a substantial stockpile of weapons and war-like stores, including two MA rifles, an AK-56 rifle, a 40mm Lathode grenade launcher, multiple grenades, over 1,100 live rounds of ammunition, and tactical uniforms. The UKNA, which is not a signatory to the regional Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, has been linked by local authorities to recent extortion demands and insurgent violence in the state. Search and clearance operations remain ongoing across the surrounding terrain to track down the fleeing suspects.
After securing the immediate area, joint engineering units completely dismantled and incinerated the makeshift training camp to prevent non-state actors from reoccupying the strategic jungle position. Senior military officials confirmed that the operation marks the first major counter-insurgency engagement targeting UKNA cadres in the Churachandpur district this year.
Defense spokespersons highlighted that intelligence-driven strikes against non-SoO insurgent factions have been intensified across the border districts to neutralize illegal armed groups involved in widespread civilian intimidation, extortion networks, and weapons trafficking. Additional military columns have been deployed along the surrounding ridges to seal off potential escape routes toward adjacent state borders.
Local civil administration authorities in Churachandpur have urged residents in surrounding hill villages to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movements to nearby security posts while combing operations continue. State leadership commended the swift coordination between the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, reiterating a zero-tolerance policy against unsanctioned armed outfits threatening peace and stability in the region.
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