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23 hours ago
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3 min readImphalFeb 9, 2026 01:27 PM IST
Fearing further escalation, residents belonging to both Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities started abandoning their homes. (Express photo)
The adjacent villages of Litan and Mangkot in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Monday saw several people abandoning their homes following violent clashes between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities, during which 25 houses and four government quarters were burnt down, police said.
According to officials at Litan police station, the damaged structures included two houses belonging to members of the Kuki community, based on a preliminary assessment.
The violence erupted late Sunday night around 11.30 pm at Litan Bazar. Miscreants in large numbers started torching houses, and police said gunshots of automatic rifles were heard, intensifying panic among residents.
Fearing further escalation, residents belonging to both Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities started abandoning their homes. Villagers were seen leaving the area in trucks, private vehicles and on foot, carrying mattresses, household utensils and whatever valuables they could salvage.
The District Magistrate of Ukhrul imposed a curfew in Litan village on Sunday evening until further orders. An official order stated, “As per reliable sources, there is an apprehension of a breach of peace and public tranquillity at Litan Village between the Tangkhul and Kuki communities, posing risks to human lives and property.”
To stabilise the situation, heavy fortification was carried out by the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Assam Rifles, officials said. Additional forces, including units of the Assam Rifles, CAPF, the 8 Bihar Regiment and personnel from the 4th Mahar Regiment, were also deployed.
A team of Manipur Police, led by an Inspector General (Law & Order), took stock of the situation and reviewed security arrangements on the ground. Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip, who belongs to Kuki community, and Ukhrul MLA Ram Muiva, a Tangkhul Naga, visited the affected area.
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Police said the violence was triggered by a drunken brawl on the evening of February 7 at Litan Sareikhong. During the altercation, a Tangkhul Naga man identified as Sterling was allegedly assaulted and sustained serious injuries. He was later taken to a hospital in Imphal for treatment.
As clashes intensified on Sunday evening, security forces fired teargas shells to disperse mobs engaged in stone-pelting.
Litan is a small commercial town located about 35 km from Imphal, inhabited by both Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities. The town serves as a local trading hub for surrounding villages, with residential and market areas closely interlinked, a factor that officials said contributed to the rapid spread of tension.
A Tangkhul woman who lives in Litan Bazar, recounting the incident, said residents were petrified after hearing the commotion and hid themselves inside their houses. She said a large group of people, some of them armed, began dismantling and burning houses.
An FIR has been registered, and further investigation is underway, police said.
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