Kuki militants threaten Ireng village, tension runs high

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 12: Ireng village in Kangpokpi district has come under serious threats from Kuki militants and as a result, a tense atmosphere has engulfed the whole area.
Sources said that a vehicle waiting shed built at the gate of Ireng village as well as chairs kept at the waiting shed were vandalised by some unidentified persons last night.
Moreover, the unidentified persons painted the village monoliths with the words “Kukiland’, “Stay Away” etc.
Strongly protesting last night’s aggression, Ireng villagers blocked the village road from 10 am today.
At around 1.30 pm, one Tiger who identified himself as a leader of the Kuki militant group, KNF-P made a WhatsApp call to the Ireng village chairman and threatened the chairman, said the sources.
Tiger warned the Ireng village chairman that the road blockade must be lifted otherwise Ireng village will be attacked with firearms and the whole village will be burnt down.
At around 2 pm, suspected KNF-P cadres numbering around 30 and armed with sophisticated weapons came to Ireng village with an intention to massacre the innocent villagers, said the sources.
Security forces too came to the village but they could not do anything to Kuki militants.
Deeply disappointed by the security forces’ inability to do anything in the face of the serious threats made by the Kuki militants, the villagers have questioned the purpose and meaning of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement.
The villagers have also questioned the inaction of the Central Government and the PR administration to the aggression and threats made by the Kuki militants.
On the other hand, a large number of vehicles travelling on the so-called Tiger or German road were stran-ded on account of the bandh imposed at Ireng village.  
Notably, cadres of ZUF (S Kamson) were engaged in a heavy exchange of fire with Kuki militants on January 8, 2026 at Kharam Vaiphei village, not far away from Ireng village.