Overview
- The early-morning encounter unfolded around 6 a.m. in Khanpi village under Henglep, Churachandpur, during a joint Indian Army–Assam Rifles operation involving 21 Para and 36 Assam Rifles.
- Authorities said militants opened unprovoked fire on an Army column, prompting retaliatory fire that left four UKNA cadres dead, with firearms and ammunition recovered at the site.
- One suspected militant was arrested, searches of adjoining areas are continuing, and the bodies of the deceased were moved to Churachandpur district hospital.
- Defence officials linked the action to recent UKNA-attributed violence, including the late-October assault that led to a village chief’s death; the UKNA is not part of the SoO ceasefire framework.
- Unofficial accounts mentioned injuries to Assam Rifles personnel without formal confirmation, while several Kuki civil organisations urged restraint and announced a district shutdown during the funerals.