Churachandpur, Manipur: A village chief, identified as Mangthang Haokip, was allegedly beaten to death in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Monday evening. Haokip, who was around 50 years old, was the chief of T Khonomphai village, located in the Henglep sub-division.

The incident reportedly occurred around 4:30 PM when a group of armed individuals attacked Haokip. Preliminary reports suggest the perpetrators are suspected to be militants from the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a banned underground outfit.

Due to the remote location of T Khonomphai village, villagers carried the injured chief to Khopijang village, with the intention of transporting him to Churachandpur District Hospital. However, officials confirmed that Haokip succumbed to his injuries and died en route at Khopijang.

The Henglep Headquarter Area Chiefs’ Association (HACA) has strongly condemned the attack, appealing to all armed groups to cease violent acts against village chiefs and civilians.

Police have registered a case at the Henglep Police Station and have launched an investigation into the incident. Following formalities, the body was handed over to his family and villagers for last rites.

The UKNA had claimed responsibility for an ambush carried out on June 30 that killed three members of a Kuki militant outfit. The Manipur government had withdrawn its Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with UKNA in 2023 following the alleged involvement of the armed group in the ongoing Manipur crisis.

Manipur has been under President's rule since February. Since May 3, 2023, the state has experienced ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei people, resulting in at least 260 deaths and over a thousand injuries. More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes and villages and are currently residing in relief camps across different districts.