Four militants of the banned United Kuki National Army were killed in an encounter with Manipur's security forces.
The encounter started at around 5:30 in the morning at the Khanpi village in violence-hit Churachandpur district.
Military officials said that four of the militants were killed in the encounter, while others gave a slip to the security forces. Combing operations are still underway in the area, in an attempt to re-establish contact with the UKNA militants.
India’s Defence ministry said in a statement that the UKNA cadre was inflicting violence in the region, including the killing of a village chief.
During the operation, a fierce gunfight broke out between army personnel and the militants, the officer said."At least four militants were killed during the exchange of fire while several others managed to flee the spot," the officer added that the identities of the deceased are yet to be established.
A defence statement also said that in the early hours of Nov 4, terrorists resorted to unprovoked firing on the Army column during an intelligence-based operation at Khanpi village, approximately 80 km west of Churachandpur. In the ensuing firefight between security forces and armed cadres of UKNA, a non-SOO insurgent group, "four cadres of the terrorist group were neutralised", it said. The operation is still in progress, and a search in the adjoining areas is underway, the statement said.
Notably, UKNA is not a part of the Suspension of Operations pact signed between the Centre, the state government and the Kuki and Zomi militant groups.
The pact was signed on September 4, 2025, with an aim to bring normalcy in the conflict-hit region.
