Imphal: A fresh wave of tension gripped the area following a fierce armed clash between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) on June 26 along NH-37 at Kaiphundai village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district.
Both factions have since issued starkly different accounts of the incident. In a press statement, the NSCN-IM’s Zeilad, Zeliangrong Region, stated that Indian security forces had transported ZUF-J cadres from Khoupum and dropped them at Old Agro Mile (Kaiphundai Kuki Village) in late March 2026.
The NSCN-IM alleged that, instead of remaining at their designated Mount Ararat camp, the ZUF-J cadres launched attacks on the Kaiphundai outpost, extorted money along the highway, and harassed travellers.
Claiming that repeated warnings were ignored, the NSCN-IM said it fired blank shots on June 26 to prevent further bloodshed.
The group further accused the ZUF-J of acting as a proxy for the Government of India to sabotage the Naga national movement.
Conversely, the ZUF strongly condemned the armed action by the NSCN-IM, describing it as a direct attack on fellow indigenous people.
The ZUF said the confrontation demonstrated a disregard for human life and accused the NSCN-IM of creating a war-like atmosphere to exploit the region for financial gain.
Emphasising its defensive posture, the ZUF accused the NSCN-IM of military domination and urged the public to reject such destructive factional violence in favour of peace and communal harmony.
While no casualties were reported in the exchange, villagers from the area were forced to temporarily flee to safer locations. Following the incident, the NSCN-IM appealed to all Naga factions to endorse the August 3, 2015, Framework Agreement and reiterated its commitment to indigenous reconciliation, affirming that “The Naga solution is One Talk, One Agreement.”
Meanwhile, the ZUF called on the public and community stakeholders to unite against violence and assured residents of its commitment to maintaining a defensive posture.