Manipur Violence: 28 Houses Torched in Kamjong in 24 Hours; Civilians Flee to Forests, Army Camp
Suspected militants target Naga and Kuki settlements; security forces deployed as fresh violence leaves several people injured.
Fresh violence has escalated in Manipur’s Kamjong district, where at least 28 houses were set ablaze in separate incidents over the past 24 hours. Suspected militants allegedly targeted settlements belonging to both the Naga and Kuki communities, forcing residents to flee their homes and seek shelter in nearby forests and an Army camp, police said.
At least 13 abandoned houses belonging to members of the Naga community were set on fire by unidentified miscreants in Pilong and Skipe villages near the international border with Myanmar on Sunday.
“The necessary security measures have been taken in connection with the incident,” police said in a statement.
The houses had reportedly been abandoned following earlier attacks on Naga villages, including Pilong, near the Myanmar border.
In a separate incident on Sunday morning, two people were injured after unidentified armed assailants allegedly opened fire on a car travelling along National Highway 202 between Gwaltabi and Mahadeva in Ukhrul district, under the jurisdiction of Litan police station.
Meanwhile, at least 15 houses belonging to the Kuki community were set on fire in Chassad village in Kamjong district on Saturday night. Officials said the attack forced a large number of residents to flee and take shelter in forest areas and a nearby Army camp.
The incident occurred hours after a Kuki civilian was killed and four others sustained bullet injuries in an attack on the village.
To bring the situation under control, a joint team comprising the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Kamjong Police has been deployed in the affected area, police said.
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the violence in Chassad village and expressed grief over the death of the Kuki civilian. She also voiced concern over the injured village leaders and families displaced by the attacks.
Describing the burning of houses as an intolerable crime, Kipgen said she had instructed the district administration, state police and security forces to maintain round-the-clock vigilance, protect civilian lives and property, and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
In another incident on Saturday night, three Tangkhul Naga civilians sustained bullet injuries at the Kamjong district headquarters when rival armed groups allegedly attacked the village.
The latest incidents come amid continuing ethnic tensions between the Kuki and Naga communities in Manipur.
According to the report, more than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses have been burnt in clashes across Tamenglong, Kamjong, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi and Noney districts since February.
The fresh attacks have heightened security concerns in the state’s border areas, with residents facing renewed displacement and uncertainty.
