A Kuki militant suspected of belonging to the banned United National Kuki Army outfit was killed on Tuesday in a shootout with the Assam Rifles between Maulvi and Songkung villages in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, officers confirmed on Wednesday.
The deceased has been identified as Lenminsang Haokip of Churachandpur district.
An official statement by Churachandpur Police said: “Information was received today from the Assam Rifles that an encounter took place on June 16, 2026 between Maulvi and Songkong villages involving a joint column of the Assam Rifles and the Army against suspected militants. During the encounter, one of the suspected militants was killed. An AK-47 rifle, along with magazines, ammunition, explosives and other incriminating items were recovered from the scene.”
The statement added that a case has been registered and the investigation is still ongoing.
The incident occurred after security forces launched an operation after receiving information about the presence of UKNA cadres in the area.
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A senior police officer, who requested anonymity, said: “When the security forces approached the aforementioned location, some armed cadres, suspected to be cadres of the British News Agency, who were stationed, opened fire on the security forces. The security forces responded immediately, leading to a heavy exchange of fire. There were no reports of any casualties from the security team during the operation.”
Additional security personnel have been deployed, and extensive search operations are underway to track down the armed cadres and secure the area.
Meanwhile, the Songkong Village Authority in a statement claimed that the Indian Army attacked Songkong Village on June 16, 2026 around 2 pm with drones and bombs.
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The statement added, “An innocent villager named Linminsang Hokep, son of Linkogen Hokep, died at the hands of the army. His clothes were changed into a military uniform, and his whereabouts remain unknown until now.”
In addition, Kuki legislator Letzamang Hokep condemned the killing of Linmensang by the JSF in a statement on Wednesday.
“The witnesses alleged that after he was shot, his clothes were removed and his body was taken away by the JSF. They further alleged that after his death, attempts were made to portray the incident as a fake encounter. If these allegations are proven to be true, they would constitute a gross abuse of power and a serious violation of the rule of law. This is unacceptable and requires immediate attention. These allegations are extremely serious and call for an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation,” the statement read.
Letzamang demanded that the body be recovered immediately and handed over to the family. He warned that “any attempt to hide the facts, tamper with evidence, or distort the circumstances surrounding the death must be investigated and dealt with carefully in accordance with the law.”
The body was recovered and taken to Imphal, people familiar with the matter said. However, it has not yet been confirmed which hospital the bodies will be transferred to.
