On Tuesday (16th April), the United Kuki National Army (UKNA) claimed responsibility for the attack on fuel tankers near Manipur’s Kaimai village on National Highway 37 (NH37). Earlier in the day, a driver suffered bullet injuries as armed men ambushed oil and gas tankers in the Tamenglong district.
According to the police, at least two fuel tankers were hit by gunfire near Keimei village on NH-37, which connects Imphal with Silchar. The police added that unknown armed men fired from hilltops to target the fuel tankers on the highway, resulting in the driver being shot in the leg. Bullets hitting the tankers caused oil spillage on the road. Additional forces were rushed to the area to ease tensions. Nevertheless, the ambush led to panic buying of petrol and diesel at petrol pumps in the valley districts of Manipur.
Hours after the attack, the insurgent Kuki outfit issued a press release to warn of more such attacks in the future.
JUST IN | United #Kuki National Army claims responsibility for attack on oil & gas tankers near #Manipur’s Kaimai village on “NH37” on April 16, warns of more such attacks on all #Imphal-bound goods vehicles, @rahconteur reports pic.twitter.com/8nxTNFtydO
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) April 17, 2024
In the press release as accessed by The Hindu, the UKNA issued a threat describing the 16th April attack as the “first offensive operation” against the supply of the essential commodities and “weaponry”. According to the Kuki militant group, the commodities in the truck were being sent to aid the Meitei community.
It is pertinent to note that large-scale violence erupted last year between two main ethnic communities in the state – Meitei and Kuki following a controversial court order. In February this year, the Manipur High Court removed its instruction to the Manipur Govt given last year that sparked the riots in the state which started in May 2023.
The High Court had asked the state govt to recommend the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list, triggering massive protests and violence by the Tribal Kuki community. The court in February revised its earlier order and deleted the instructions to the state govt.
Alleging that the state government is favouring the Meitei community, the Kuki outfit levelled the state government as “communal” and conveyed that it will keep opposing it to “stop the Genocide of Kukis”. It also alleged that it would target trucks carrying essential communities to stop the “illegal transport of heavy weaponry”.
Threatening of more attacks, the press release added, “The UKNA felt sorry for injuring a driver during the operation and further it is warned that no Imphal bound goods vehicle transportation should ply on the National High Way -37 with immediate effects.”
It further stated, “That this operation is a continuing process and any transporters neglecting the order should be treated as the enemy of the Kuki’s and he or she will face the consequences of a disobedience for which he or she shall be responsible.”
It concluded by stating, “The organization understands the plight of its people at the best of the communal state government and this organisation should oppose the state government as long as it stops sponsoring the ongoing Kuki Genocide.”
