Naga villages along Manipur’s IT Road came under armed attack, with houses burnt in Pipuram and firing reported at Makui, Tapon and Thonglang Akutpa.
Imphal, September 1: Several Liangmai Naga villages along the Imphal-Tamenglong (IT) Road in Kangpokpi district came under armed attack early Tuesday, with houses reportedly burnt and civilians coming under sustained firing, days after four Naga civilians were killed in an ambush and a day after three Kuki civilians were killed in an attack on N Teikhang village.
The latest attacks were reported from Tapon, Thonglang Akutpa, Pipuram and Makui, with local sources reporting firing and arson from the early hours of September 1.
According to the Makui Village Authority, armed Kuki militants attacked Pipuram Naga Village at around 4 am, opened indiscriminate fire and subsequently set houses on fire. The authority stated that homes, food grains, household belongings and other property were destroyed in the blaze.
The attackers then moved towards main Makui Naga Village, where they allegedly continued firing in an attempt to set houses on fire and cause casualties, the village authority stated in a press condemnation issued on Tuesday.
The authority further alleged that armed Kuki cadres felled trees across the IT Road corridor, cutting off vital access to Tapon and other Naga settlements. According to the allegation, the obstruction was intended to prevent or delay security forces from reaching the affected villages while the attacks were underway.
The claims regarding the identities and affiliations of the attackers, as well as the purpose of the road obstruction, had not been independently verified at the time of publication.
Reports from the area indicated that firing was also heard around Tapon and Thonglang Akutpa, with the situation remaining tense through the morning.
Local sources reported that several Naga settlements along the IT Road were targeted in the attacks. A pastor from Tapon was reportedly injured in the firing.
The affected villages are located along a strategically important road corridor connecting areas of the interior hills. Any disruption of the road can significantly affect civilian movement as well as the deployment of security forces.
The reported felling of trees along the road has therefore added to concerns among residents about the ability of security personnel to reach villages under attack.
The Makui Village Authority linked Tuesday’s violence to the August 27 ambush in which four Naga civilians were killed between Makui Ashang and Thanamba village.
The victims included Tadsongbou Ringkangmai, founder and principal of Right Path School at T. Khullen; Mariakdibou Wijunamai and Anil Wijunamai, both associated with the Makui Youth Club; and Wisobou Charenamai, chairman of the Chawangkining Village Authority.
The Makui authority described that attack as a pre-planned ambush and alleged that Kuki militants were responsible.
In its September 1 statement, the authority argued that the repeated attacks represented an attempt to drive Liangmai Nagas out of the IT Road area and take control of what it described as their ancestral land.
“These continuous attacks,” the authority stated, were being viewed as “a direct attempt to wipe out Liangmai Nagas from IT Road area and to grab our ancestral land.”
The statement condemned the attacks as “cowardly and barbaric acts” and called for the violence to stop.
The allegations against Kuki militants have not been independently established, and the groups accused of involvement have not been cited as having responded to the latest allegations.
Tuesday’s violence came less than a day after an armed attack on N Teikhang, a Kuki village under the T Waichong subdivision of Kangpokpi district.
Three Kuki civilians — Tingneichin Lhouvum, 40; Hoineineng Lhoujem, 21; and Lamtinthang Lhoujem, 36 — were killed in the Monday morning attack. Four others were injured, while several houses were reportedly set ablaze.
Police confirmed the deaths and injuries but had not immediately identified those responsible.
The Twilang Area Kuki CSO Working Committee alleged that around 50 armed men were involved and accused cadres of the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K of carrying out the attack. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
The sequence of attacks has heightened tensions along the IT Road, where Naga and Kuki settlements have faced repeated violence in recent days.
The IT Road corridor has emerged as a flashpoint amid the continuing conflict in Manipur, with civilians from both communities facing attacks.
For Naga residents, Tuesday’s attacks came only five days after the killing of four civilians in the Makui area. The fresh reports of firing, arson and obstruction of the road have raised fears of further displacement from villages along the corridor.
The allegation that trees were deliberately felled to restrict security movement is also significant because access to remote settlements is dependent on the IT Road. If confirmed, such obstruction could hamper the movement of security personnel and emergency services during attacks.
Authorities have yet to provide a comprehensive official account of Tuesday’s incidents, including the number of houses damaged or destroyed, casualties and the extent of the reported road blockade.
The identities of those responsible for the latest attacks also remain subject to investigation.
With violence reported against Naga and Kuki settlements within a span of two days, the security situation in the Kangpokpi belt remains volatile.
This is a developing story.
