Sources said heavy artillery and automatic weapons were used in the clashes near Border Pillar 73, a remote and densely forested area straddling India’s Manipur and Myanmar
TFM Report
The volatile Indo-Myanmar border region, a hotbed of ethnic insurgencies and cross-border militancy, witnessed fresh intense gunfights on Friday between armed Kuki militants and Manipur-based insurgent groups near Border Pillar 73.
As per a reliable source, the clashes, which also spilled over to areas around Pillar 85/86 earlier, left at least 10 Kuki militants dead. The violence underscores the escalating chaos in Manipur, where ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have simmered since May 2023, displacing over 60,000 people.

Sources said heavy artillery and automatic weapons were used in the clashes near Border Pillar 73, a remote and densely forested area straddling India’s Manipur and Myanmar’s Sagaing Region. Sources allege that Kuki militants, suspected to have received logistical support from sympathizers on the Indian side, faced off against Manipur-based insurgent groups, likely belonging to valley based groups.
It was reported that the bodies of those killed in earlier gun-fight near Pillar 85/86 remained unrecovered due to sustained counter-firing. Local reports indicate that Kuki militants attempted to retrieve the deceased but were repelled by heavy gunfire from opposing forces.
In a related incident, it was also reported that Kuki militants allegedly linked to Myanmar’s anti-junta People’s Defence Force (PDF) attacked a Myanmar Army post in Pantha Township, Sagaing Region. The military retaliated with rockets and mortars, forcing militants to retreat. Three mini-trucks were reportedly used to evacuate casualties, though casualty figures remain unverified.
The clashes highlight the blurred lines between domestic ethnic strife and cross-border insurgencies in the region. Kuki-Zo groups, many of whom share ethnic ties with communities in Myanmar’s Chin State, have been demanding the creation of a unified Zale’n-gam comprising of areas in the Indo-Myanmar region. Security observers feel that the issue is likely to complicate India’s efforts to stabilize its Northeastern frontier bordering Myanmar.
Indian security forces have heightened surveillance along the 398-km Manipur-Myanmar border, with Assam Rifles units placed on high alert.