Feb 9, 2026 (IMP): In conflict-ravaged Manipur, the Litan area of Ukhrul district, located about 40 km from Imphal, has again witnessed an exodus of Tangkhul Naga from their inhabited areas after an unexpected community flare-up took place since last night with Kuki inhabitants of the area.
The flare-up has turned at least 25 houses and four (4) government quarters into ashes and reduced them to rubble. Though the state government has made all-out efforts to control further spread of violence, many residents, including Kukis, have abandoned their houses in fear of escalation. Despite the curfew being in place, many villagers were seen leaving their homes in trucks and private vehicles, carrying bedding items and some utensils that they could salvage.
The sound of automatic firing heard last night by Tangkhul villagers has intensified fear, forcing them to abandon their houses and villages, which now look deserted in the area. Heavy evacuation is also underway in Litan village and the adjacent Mangkot village of Manipur.
Earlier, an emergency meeting was held at Litan Police Station, joined by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, MLA Ram Muiva, and MLA Kimneo Haokip, who also assessed the situation of the area and the damages. The violence erupted late Sunday night around 11:30 pm at Litan Bazar, where miscreants in large numbers started torching houses.
Such a scale of flare-up and exodus has been witnessed after a three-decade gap since the Naga–Kuki conflict that lasted between 1992 and 1989, which displaced over 50,000 to 1 lakh people and resulted in the deaths of thousands.
