Imphal, July 1: Violence erupted in Kamjong district of Manipur, near the India-Myanmar border, on Wednesday due to armed clashes between Naga and Kuki groups. Over 20 houses were set ablaze, escalating tensions in the region.
According to a senior police officer, the violence began in the morning when armed individuals reportedly attacked a Naga village from a nearby Kuki village, setting fire to at least 10 homes.
The situation worsened in the afternoon as suspected militants and armed village volunteers allegedly launched counterattacks on other villages in the area. Authorities reported that at least 12 more homes belonging to the Naga community were torched in the subsequent violence.
Security forces were dispatched to the affected villages, and operations to restore normalcy were initiated. Officials stated that the situation remains tense but is under close monitoring, with additional forces deployed to prevent further violence.
These recent clashes occurred against a backdrop of rising tensions between the Naga and Kuki communities. The unrest was ignited following the murder of six Naga civilians, whose bodies were discovered on June 11, after they were reportedly abducted on May 13.
This incident triggered widespread protests, economic blockades, and renewed hostilities between the two communities. The latest violence follows recent disputes regarding the movement of essential goods in Kuki-dominated areas and protests organized by various groups.
As of now, there have been no official reports of casualties from Wednesday’s events. The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) condemned the recent act of violence, which involved the destruction of a Kuki village by armed Naga militants.
In a statement, KIM claimed that this latest attack is part of a planned campaign of violence and destruction targeting Kuki villages in the hilly districts of Manipur. Alarmingly, the village was under the protection of security forces, who had vacated the post just a day prior to the arson. The timing of this incident raises serious concerns about security arrangements in sensitive villages and underscores the need for an immediate and transparent investigation into the causes of the attack.
Meanwhile, expressing regret over the murder of the six Naga civilians, the president of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), Henlianthang Thanglet, recently apologized for the incident and called for a fair, transparent, and impartial investigation into all acts of violence related to the ongoing ethnic unrest in the state.
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