At least 30 houses were set on fire and one villager sustained a gunshot injury after unidentified armed miscreants attacked three Liangmai Naga villages in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district in the early hours of Tuesday, September 1.
Vehicles and other properties were also damaged in the attack, officials confirmed.
The assault began around 4 a.m. in Tapon Khullen, Tapon Khunou and Makui Pipuram villages, located along the vital Imphal-Tamenglong (IT) road. Kangpokpi police said the attackers opened fire and systematically torched homes and belongings.
Gunfire continued intermittently until about 12:30 p.m.
Additional security forces, including units of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite CoBRA commandos, along with Manipur Police, rushed to the area and launched search operations.
Initial assessments indicated significant damage. However, police later stated that the precise number of houses and properties destroyed was still being verified.
The latest attack came just a day after a similar assault on Teikhang, also referred to as N. Teikhang, a Kuki-inhabited village in the same district.
On August 31, armed men opened indiscriminate fire, killing three civilians including two women and injuring four others. Several houses were also set on fire, forcing residents, including women and children, to flee into nearby forests.
The deceased were identified as Tingneichin Lhouvum (40), Hoineineng Lhoujem (21) and Lamtinthang Lhoujem (36).
Kuki civil society groups alleged the involvement of NSCN-IM cadres and an associated faction. However, the claims remain unverified by police.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who was in New Delhi, strongly condemned the Teikhang killings and vowed that the perpetrators would be arrested and punished.
The two incidents are part of a dangerous cycle of tit-for-tat violence that has gripped the IT Road corridor in recent months.
On August 27, four Liangmai Naga civilians including a school principal were killed and one was injured in an ambush between Makui Ashang and Thabamba villages.
Naga organisations accused Kuki militant outfits of responsibility.
Since May 13, at least 17 people from the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities have been killed in separate attacks in the area, according to official and community accounts.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest violence.