Imphal, June 28 -- A fresh wave of tension gripped the area following a fierce armed clash between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) on June 26 along NH-37 at Kaiphundai village in Manipur's Tamenglong district.

Both factions have since issued starkly different accounts of the incident. In a press statement, the NSCN-IM's Zeilad, Zeliangrong Region, stated that Indian security forces had transported ZUF-J cadres from Khoupum and dropped them at Old Agro Mile (Kaiphundai Kuki Village) in late March 2026.

The NSCN-IM alleged that, instead of remaining at their designated Mount Ararat camp, the ZUF-J cadres launched attacks on the Kaiphundai outpost, extorted money along the highway,...