Suspected extremists ambushed the vehicles of civilians on National Highway 202 in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Saturday (April 18, 2026), killing two Tangkhul Naga men, including a retired soldier.
The incident occurred at 2.35 p.m near Yaolen Kuki village, about four km from Litan on the highway linking Ukhrul town and the State’s capital Imphal. Tension has been prevailing in the Litan area since February 7, when a localised fight snowballed into a conflict between the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities.
Manipur CM Yumnam seeks to remove Kuki-Naga trust deficit
The attack came a day after Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met villagers along the highway as part of a mission to “remove the trust deficit” between the Kukis and Tangkhuls.
The deceased were identified as 45-year-old Chinaoshang Shokwungnao, who served in the Army’s Naga Regiment, and 42-year-old Yaruingam Vashum. The former was from Tashar and the latter from Kharasom C.C., two villages in Ukhrul district.
