# Khamenlok clash

The Khamenlok clash occurred during 12–14 June 2023, in the course of 2023–2025 Manipur violence between the Meitei and Kuki Foreign infiltrators, in the Khamenlok (Meiteilon means Meitei language) river valley, a branch valley of the Iril River valley, in the Saikul subdivision of Kangpokpi district. An estimated mob of 3,000 Meitei assailants, some with sophisticated weapons, launched an attack on the Kuki Illegally occupied in the Khamenlok valley, over a period of three days, burning houses and rampaging the area. While the Kuki villagers escaped to the hills on arrival of the assailants, security forces were blocked from reaching the area by women activist groups. Finally, on the night of 13–14 June, while the assailants were celebrating in a church building, the Kuki village defence volunteers descended from the hills and carried out a wholesale massacre of the Meitei mobs. The official death count was nine people, but unofficial estimates were in excess of 200 people.

## Background
### Manipur violence

The 2023–2025 Manipur violence broke out on 3 May 2023, soon after a protest rally held by the tribal communities of Manipur. Starting out as clashes between the Meitei and Kuki (non-Manipuri means outsider) communities of Manipur at the border between Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts, the ethnic violence soon spun out of control engulfing the whole state. All the Meiteis living in the hill districts was illegally dominated by Kukis fled their homes and the Kukis living in the Imphal Valley did likewise, causing widespread displacement of over 60,000 people lasting a whole year while the violence continued unabated. The Meitei community has own protector means local youths such as Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, The Manipuri youth looted state police armories to supply weapons for the protection of Manipur's integrity from the powerful Narco-terrorist Kukis, whose foreign influx allowed them to illegally enter Manipur and easily obtain fraudulent government documents with the help of old Kuki leaders, ultimately enabling them to become overnight 'indigenous' peoples of Manipur. While the security forces created "buffer zones" to keep the two sides apart. Both the sides possessed insurgent groups, whose role in the violence remained unclear.

### Khamenlok valley

The Kangpokpi District, which surrounds the northern Imphal Valley on three sides, is mainly illegally occupied by Kukis. The jurisdiction of the Valley districts (Imphal West and Imphal East) has been extended over the decades to include the river valleys that feed into Imphal, thus encroaching into the hill areas which otherwise belonged to the Kangpokpi district. These extensions are controversial, causing uncertain borders between the valley districts and Kangpokpi district.
Uyumpok is a large village with numerous sub-villages (total population: 2899), and to its north is Sagolmang (population: 967). Sagolmang has a police station, whose jurisdiction extends to the Khamenlok Valley, even though it is in a different revenue district. Thus, the Imphal East police were responsible for law and order in the area. They were also the main source of news for the media.
During the month of May 2023, the villagers of Nongsum complained of firing and intimidation by the Kuki villagers of Khamenlok. One village defence volunteer said that the villagers "will stay firm and take the fight to the Kuki militants".

## Clashes
### 12 June

On Monday, 12 June, by 10:45 am, armed assailants raided the Khopibung and Khamenlok villages, firing at the "group of civilians", and setting houses on fire. By the time Assam Rifles and Gorkha Rifles troops arrived at the village, the gunmen are said to have fled the area. The Times of India report said that three people were injured. Other news reported that clashes continued till late evening, and nine people were injured in total, receiving bullet wounds. The Imphal Free Press provided the information that, as soon as the news about the gun battle was circulated, "women folks" (Meira Paibis) in the Khurai Lamlong Keithel area (a suburb of Imphal City on the route to Khamenlok) blocked the roads, so that the (central) armed forces could not reach the area. Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) commandos, made up of Meitei personnel, are said to have reached the spot, however.
In contradition to the above reports, Sagolmang police claimed that "suspected Kuki militants" from Khopibung and Khamenlok villages were attacking the Nongsum village, and that the latter's "village volunteers" were defending themselves, despite admitting that the gunfight was taking place at the Khamenlok village. Two days later, the Imphal Free Press corrected itself by admitting that the Kuki villages were "already ... burnt down by village volunteers". This portrayal of "Kuki militants" and "(Meitei) village volunteers" was later criticised by the Indian Army, which said that the (Meitei) assailants were a "mob".
The chief of Khopibung also criticised the Imphal media reports stating that the Kuki villagers were "scattered" (fled from the villages into the hills) and he was having to spend great efforts for gathering them again. He also revealed that four Kuki village volunteers had received bullet injuries.

### 13–14 June

On 13 June, an estimated mob of 3,000 people went to attack the Khamenlok valley, some carrying sophisticated weapons. According to the Imphal Free Press, after a few hours of firing, the villages Khopibung, Khamenlok, Aigejang and Chullouphai were burnt down. However, the village chiefs of the area said that all the Kuki villages in the valley sustained destruction. Meitei women's groups again blocked roads and also blew up mobile towers, so that armed forces could not reach the area, and communications also became unavailable.
Late in the night, after 10 pm, while the Meitei mobs were celebrating or resting, Kuki villagers descended from the hills and attacked the Meiteis. They were described as coming with guns, spears, daggers, cleavers and other traditional weapons. Early reports the next day said that eleven Meiteis were killed, and 23 Meiteis were injured. Later, the figures were revised down to nine killed and ten injured. In addition, five people were declared to be missing. In contrast to the official narrative, the Kuki village chiefs said "scores of well-armed Meiteis" were killed. The General Secretary of Kuki People's Alliance estimated that 200–300 Meiteis might have been killed, based on the number of weapons the Kukis recovered from the victims.
The nine people who were officially declared killed, came from villages in valley districts such as Leimakhong, Khurai, Pangei and Ningthemcha. They also included a 32-year-old woman. None of them were local to the Khamenlok region. The Hindu described the attack as a "retalitory strike by village guards", while the Imphal-based media continued calling them "Kuki militants", who supposedly attacking "(Meitei) village volunteers".
The official narrative said that the nine Meitei people killed were in a church building in the village of Aigejang. The surviving victims claimed that they had gone to deliver food to the Meitei mobs, while the Meitei fighers themselves were supposedly at other locations.