The Kuki National Front (KNF) was formed under the leadership of Ranco Thangboi Kuki on May 18, 1988. Its primary objective is to secure a separate, independent state for the Kuki tribe and the unification of all scattered Kukis in the new homeland. About 300 KNF recruits had undergone training in Kachin Independence Army (KIA) camps in Myanmar. KNF has been engaged in a bloody confrontation with the Tangkhul Nagas backed by the National Socialist Council of Nagalim – Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), in which over 1000 people, mostly belonging to the Kuki tribe, lost their lives since 1992. It operates in the districts of Chandel, parts of Tamenglong and Senapati.