Trooper among 3 dead in clash over Naga villages boundaries in Manipur's Ukhrul

Imphal: At least three persons, including a Manipur Rifles trooper, were killed and 30 others injured in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Wednesday when residents of two Naga villages clashed and even engaged in a gun battle over a boundary dispute, police said.

There was tension in the area after the incident, and authorities bolstered security personnel in the area, along with announcing prohibitory orders and suspending internet mobile services.

A police official in Imphal said that villagers of Hunphun and Hungpung villages participated in the ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ (cleanliness drive) on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti but suddenly engaged in clashes over the disputed boundary of their villages.

During the clashes, some youths started firing from their guns, killing two villagers and a Manipur Rifles jawan on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Reileiwung Hongray and Silas Zingkhai from Hunphun village, and Worrinmi Thumra, a Manipur Rifles jawan from nearby Lunghar village, who was also taking part in the cleanliness drive.

Over 30 people, injured in the clashes and the firing, were admitted to the hospitals.

The situation was extremely tense when the last reports were received and a large contingent of security forces, led by senior police officials, were deployed in the areas.

The cleanliness drive was organised by the Thawaijao Hungpung Young Students’ Organisation (THYSO). The two Naga villages -- Hunphun and Hungpung – often engaged in conflicts over their boundary dispute.

The state government temporarily suspended the mobile internet services in the entire district, where the Tangkhul Nagas comprise the majority, and has a border with Nagaland as well as Myanmar. Apprehending further trouble, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dinringam Kamei imposed prohibitory orders for an indefinite period under Section 163 BNSS, restricting among others the movement of people outside their residences.

Earlier this week, four houses were attacked and damaged in one of the villages, leading to a flaring up of tension.

Three Naga legislators – Transport Minister Khashim Vashum, and MLAs Ram Muivah (a retired IAS officer) and Leishiyo Keishing – made a joint appeal to the people to maintain peace and unity.

"Dear beloved citizens of Hungpung and Hunphun, with a heart weighed down by sorrow, we stand before you today as one of your own, pleading for peace. We reach out to you today in the midst of this unfortunate incident that has cast a dark shadow over our cherished land," they said in a joint statement.

"Our villages, bound together by blood, history and love, must not be torn apart by the fires of violence and anger. We are not just neighbours; we are a family. Our ancestors walked these same paths, and shared their dreams, their hardships, and their joy. Let us not allow this moment to shatter what generations have built. No victory can be found in the pain of our brothers and sisters. Let us pause, reflect, and remember that our strength lies in unity, not division. Every heart that bleeds today is a wound on our shared soul."

The Tangkhul Shanao Long sought the intervention of all women, especially those from Hunphun and Hungpung villages, for peace. The Tangkhul Baptist Churches Association also appealed for peace.