Intermittent gun fire reportedly by Kuki militants and volunteers near the proximity of Sinakethei village has created fear, panic and insecurity among the local populace of Sinakethei village.
Media Cell, Sinakeithei Village Authority on Thursday issued a press release stating that “at around 11 AM, an escalation of regional instability occurred as Sinakeithei became the epicenter of a prolonged armed assault. The unprecedented action of Kuki Militants, aggressively advancing toward the village perimeter, has inflicted significant panic and insecurity among the local populace of Sinakeithei Village.
“Reports from local witnesses and those involved in the exchange state that, no later than 9:00 AM, Kuki Militants were seen descending the Lungter Mountain Range and moving into strategic, combative positions by the paddy fields between the foothill of Lungter Mountain Range and the western shore of Ihang River. The Lungter Mountain Range stands as the westernmost barrier of Sinakeithei Village, by the foot-hill of which the Kuki Militants had established a chain of bunkers and outposts at the onset of the ongoing Kuki-Naga conflict, overstepping the jurisdictional authority of Sinakeithei Village.
“At approximately 11:00 AM, Kuki Militants accompanied by Kuki Volunteers armed with automatic rifles, crossed the Ihang River and closed the gap to a measly distance of 300 meters from Sinakeithei’s outermost vigilance bunker – one of the strategic posts established to monitor movements of Kuki Militants in the area. The assault was met with resistance from the Sinakeithei Village locals and volunteers, engaging the advancing assailants to prevent further breach into the village’s residential area.
“What merely started out as a routine firing by the Kukis, which has become a harrowing norm in this area, developed into a sustained barrage, with intermittent gun fire continuing till 3:00 PM. While the heavy firing subsided by late afternoon, the atmosphere within the Sinakeithei citizenry remains tense. The proximity and scale of the assault undertaken by the Kuki Militia today mark a most intense peak in the ongoing hostilities. Local authorities are assessing the situation for any casualties or damage as the village remains on high alert” stated the press release.
