Kuki Villages in Ukhrul District Under Heavy Attack by Tangkhul militants; Houses Burnt, Two Killed, Several Injured

Early morning on 24 April, Mulam Kuki Village in Ukhrul district of Manipur became under a full-scale armed attack, allegedly carried out by Tangkhul militants.

At approximately 1:00 AM, a blank shot was heard near the village. Given the recent pattern of unrest, this did not immediately raise alarm to the villagers. However, at around 5:30 AM, the village was subjected to what appeared to be an unprovoked and premeditated assault. The attack involved heavy and indiscriminate firing, accompanied by the burning of homes, leaving several individuals injured.

While speaking to one of the residents of Mullam village, The Hills Journal received input that more than 14 houses were torched and reduced to ashes by Tangkhul militants. Mullam is a Kuki village with more than 60 households. It was reported that two other Kuki villages - Songphel and Yaolen, was also under attack at the moment.

Two elderly women sustained grievous injuries in the attack, while one young boy also sustained injuries from a bomb attack.

Two Kuki village volunteers were waylaid and killed by Tangkhul militants between Songphel and Mullam villages. The two volunteers were heading to Mullam village from Songphel village as reinforcement.”

Mulam Village Authority stated that such act of violence reflected a disturbing escalation. "While previous incidents have contributed to rising tensions, the direct attack on a civilian village marks a grave and unacceptable development," it said.

Background of Recent Incidents:

April 19, 2026: Armed militants reportedly entered Mulam village land in broad daylight and fired blank shots at farmers, causing widespread panic.

Later the same day, when village youths attempted to approach the group for clarification, they were met with gunfire. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

April 21, 2026: Another incident of firing targeted farmers, further heightening fear and insecurity.

The Village authoriy stated that those repeated acts have created an atmosphere of sustained intimidation, reportedly involving harassment and disruption of daily life. Despite this, the Mulam community exercised restraint, hoping for peaceful resolution.

In response to the escalating situation, the Mulam Village Authority issued an urgent warning to the authorities of nearby areas, including Toungou and Sirarikhong, urging intervention and de-escalation. However, those appeals appeared to have gone unheeded.

The authority urged that the government must act now. Any further delay would cost innocent lives.

Until the filing of this report, Central Security Forces have arrived at Mullam village, and villagers were safely rescued from the Tangkhul militants’ attack. Houses on fire were doused