Imphal, July 1 -- At least four people, including a 72-year-old woman, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in a suspected factional violence in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Monday, police said. The incident took place near K Mongjang village around 1 pm, when the armed miscreants ambushed a vehicle and shot three individuals from a point-blank range, killing them on the spot, a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity, adding that an elderly woman passer-by caught in the crossfire later succumbed to her injuries. Among the deceased was Thenkhothang Haokip alias Thahpi (48), the deputy commander-in-chief of the Kuki National Army (KNA), the armed wing of prominent Kuki militant outfit - Kuki National Organisation (KNO), an officer aware of the matter said, requesting anonymity. The officer said that prima facie the incident seems to be the result of an ongoing factional rivalry among various Kuki militant groups. "The incident appears to have occurred between armed groups, but the identities of those involved are yet to be confirmed. Police are investigating the matter," the officer added. KNA is a Kuki insurgent group active in pockets of the Northeastern region as well as neighbouring Myanmar. The other deceased were identified as Seikhogin (34), Lengouhao (35) and the elderly passer-by Phalhing (72). People aware of the matter in security forces indicated the incident was carried out by armed members of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA) - a splinter group known to have adversarial relations with the KNA - in retaliation to the killing of their self-styled town commander and PRO in October. Later in the day, UKNA claimed responsibility for the ambush on Monday....