Fresh gunfire between rival ZUF-Jenchui and ZUF-Kamson factions has added to tensions in Noney, days after a factional leader was killed in a separate clash.
BY PC Bureau
Security forces launched an operation near Bitiang village in Manipur’s Noney district on Saturday morning following intelligence inputs about suspected armed training activities, triggering an exchange of fire in which one person was killed and two CRPF CoBRA personnel were injured.
The deceased was identified as Lanbimei Riamei of Longmai (Noney) Bazar. The two injured CoBRA personnel were evacuated for treatment, according to information available on the operation.
Security assessments cited in connection with the operation alleged that the area was being used for recruitment and training activities linked to the NSCN-IM and ZUF, including weapons handling, field exercises and bunker construction. These allegations, as well as the deceased person’s alleged affiliation with any armed group, have not been independently established.
Following the exchange of fire, security forces reportedly expanded search operations to adjoining areas and deployed additional personnel to prevent further movement of suspected armed cadres.
The operation came amid heightened tension in Noney following renewed fighting between rival factions of the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF).
Fresh gunfire between rival ZUF factions
Gunfire was reported around 6 a.m. on Saturday between Nungtek Part II and Haochong, about 5 km northeast of the Noney district headquarters.
Police said the firing involved the ZUF-Jenchui and ZUF-Kamson factions and continued into the early hours.
Local Meira Paibis, accompanied by police personnel, attempted to move towards the area after hearing the gunfire but were forced to turn back because of security concerns.
No casualties had been officially confirmed from Saturday’s exchange between the two factions at the time of reporting.
The latest firing followed a deadly confrontation between the same factions in Oktan village on Friday.
According to police sources, firing broke out in the village between around 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m., resulting in the death of Dingtiplung Gonmei, also known as Nguiba Gonmei, who was described as the self-styled chief secretary of the ZUF-Kamson faction.
A social-media post by Paomi Today also reported a clash between the ZUF-Jenchui and ZUF-Kamson factions, claiming that a ZUF-J cadre was killed. The claim could not be independently verified.
ZUF’s factional history
The Zeliangrong United Front is a Naga armed organisation operating primarily in Zeliangrong-inhabited areas of Manipur, particularly Noney and Tamenglong, with its influence also extending into parts of Assam and Nagaland.
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The organisation was formed on February 25, 2011, by former cadres of the NSCN-IM and NSCN-K. It has sought to safeguard the land, culture, resources and customary rights of the Zeliangrong people, comprising mainly the Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei communities, while pursuing a unified administrative homeland within India.
Its armed wing is known as the Zeliangrong Tiger Force (ZTF).
The organisation has experienced repeated leadership disputes and disagreements over territory and influence. A major split emerged around 2017, resulting in the factions associated with Jenchui Kamei and S. Kamson.
Although the rival groups briefly reconciled in 2018, their differences later resurfaced.
🚨 Clash reported in Noney between ZUF-J and ZUF-K, reportedly leaving one ZUF-J cadre dead.#Manipur #Noney #ZUFJ #ZUFK #BreakingNews #SecurityUpdate #CurrentAffairs #PaomiToday pic.twitter.com/qD8PX2TXr0
— Paomi Today – Manipur (@PaomiToday) August 29, 2026
Violence despite 2022 ceasefire
The renewed fighting has also brought attention to the ZUF’s formal peace agreement with the governments of India and Manipur.
In December 2022, the ZUF entered into a tripartite Cessation of Operations (CoO) agreement with the Centre and the Manipur government. The agreement required the organisation to renounce violence, participate in the democratic process and cooperate in the rehabilitation of its cadres.
A joint monitoring mechanism was established to oversee compliance.
Despite the agreement, sporadic violence involving ZUF factions has continued.
Noney under renewed security watch
The latest incidents have heightened security concerns across the Noney-Haochong belt, where rivalry among Naga armed groups has previously resulted in clashes and disruptions to civilian life.
The renewed factional fighting is also unfolding against the backdrop of Manipur’s broader security crisis, which has remained unsettled since the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023.
With several armed organisations operating under different ceasefire or suspension-of-operations arrangements, questions remain over the ability of existing peace mechanisms to prevent factional violence and resolve disputes over leadership, territory and political influence.
Security forces are maintaining a heightened presence in the affected areas and continuing search operations following the Bitiang encounter.
The latest developments have brought two separate security concerns into sharp focus in Noney — an armed encounter during a security operation near Bitiang and renewed fighting between rival ZUF factions — raising fears that violence could spread if the underlying factional tensions remain unresolved.
