UKHRUL: A 17-year-old girl from Mongkot Chepu in Ukhrul reportedly sustained a gunshot injury to her ankle on Monday afternoon during an attack allegedly carried out by Tangkhul armed volunteers.
According to the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, the victim, along with other women, were engaged in agricultural activities at the Lengthei Mol farming area, located about 500–600 metres from the main residential settlement of the village, when they came under targeted gunfire.
The young girl was injured, and more than 20 villagers, including women, remain trapped in the fields, the Kuki CSO Working Committee added.
The Tangkhul Naga Foothills Organisation (TNFO), however, strongly opposed the statement issued by the Kuki CSO Working Committee. TNFO stated, “Visual evidence strongly suggests that structured digging activity was carried out for the construction of drains and bunkers by Kuki volunteers, reportedly led by Kuki militants along with their women’s wing under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement.”
“It was never social work, as mentioned in the viral video, nor were they solely engaged in agricultural work, as claimed by the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul. The individuals were constructing multiple bunkers above National Highway 202. From this point, Kuki armed militants have been attacking the Tangkhul Nagas,” the TNFO statement added.
The CWC of the TNFO also cautioned that such conflicting narratives must be addressed with transparency. It warned that misleading statements in a conflict situation can undermine public trust and may be used to construct a false narrative of victimhood.