At least 13 people were killed during a clash between two militant groups in Leithu village, Tengnoupal district, Manipur on Monday afternoon, according to an official from the hill district. The incident occurred when a group of militants on their way to Myanmar were attacked by another insurgent group that has influence in the area.
When security forces arrived at the scene, they found the corpses of 13 people, yet their identities remain unknown. It is worth noting that the Tengnoupal district has a porous border with Myanmar and the deceased appear to be foreigners.
An officer stated that the forces did not discover any weapons near the bodies, suggesting that the deceased could have been from outside the Leithu area and potentially involved in a clash with a distinct group before their death. The police have since arrived at the scene and will investigate the incident.
This occurrence follows the Centre and Manipur government signing a peace agreement in New Delhi with the United National Liberation Force (UNLF) four days ago. Such clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have been occurring since May 3, resulting in 182 deaths and over 50,000 people becoming homeless.