The Kuki CSO Working Committee said the vehicle came under automatic fire while travelling between Tingpibung and Lephen, causing it to crash.
BY PC Bureau
March 21, 2026 — Two Kuki civilians, including a woman, were injured after suspected Tangkhul militants allegedly opened fire on a passenger auto-rickshaw in the fringe area between Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts on Saturday morning, according to the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul.
In a press release dated March 21, 2026, the committee said the attack took place around 9:30 am on the route between Tingpibung and Lephen villages near Sanakeithel village in Ukhrul district. The vehicle was reportedly carrying several passengers when it came under automatic fire while in motion. Around three to four rounds were said to have been fired, causing the auto-rickshaw to crash.
The committee said two persons were injured in the incident. A woman sustained a gunshot wound to her waist, while the condition of both injured persons was described as serious. It added that further updates were awaited from the medical centre treating them.
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The Kuki CSO Working Committee described the ambush as one of the latest in a series of “heinous and unprovoked acts of violence” against the Kuki community in the area.
The statement also referred to another firing incident earlier in the day. At around 5:15 am, suspected Tangkhul militants or “so-called volunteers” allegedly opened automatic fire in Shangkai village, discharging three to four rounds and triggering panic among local residents.
Condemning both incidents, the committee said such acts were “inhuman and barbaric,” especially at a time when the community was already reeling from the loss of two persons identified as Thenkhogin Baite and Thangboimang Lunkim. It said that despite the tense situation, the organisation had extended cooperation to government authorities and was making efforts on humanitarian grounds to ensure the deceased were laid to rest with dignity.
The committee further stated that the shutdown in the area had been lifted at the earliest on March 20 after the government addressed its grievances and the bodies of the two deceased Kuki men were received.
However, it alleged that continued provocations and attacks by anti-peace elements remained unacceptable and intolerable. It urged the authorities to identify those responsible and deal with them strictly under the law without delay.
As preparations are underway for the funeral of the two deceased men, the committee appealed to all concerned not to instigate or aggravate the situation further. It also warned that it would not take responsibility for any untoward consequences arising from continued provocation.
The latest ambush adds to growing tensions in the Ukhrul-Kangpokpi fringe, where both Kuki and Tangkhul Naga groups have traded allegations over recent firings and clashes in villages such as Sinakeithel, Thawai, Mongkot Chepu, and Litan Sareikhong. The region has remained volatile amid disputes over security, territorial claims, and recent killings.
Security forces remain deployed in the area, while authorities have urged restraint to prevent the situation from spiralling into a broader ethnic confrontation in Manipur’s hill districts.
