At least three Tangkhul Naga villages along the Indo–Myanmar border in Manipur’s Kamjong district came under attack in the early hours of Thursday, with suspected Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) and People’s Defence Force (PDF) militants accused of launching what local leaders and civil bodies have described as a coordinated cross-border assault, Ukhrul Times reported.
The villages of Choro, Namlee and Wanglee Market were reportedly targeted around 3:30 am, with several houses set ablaze, civilians injured and widespread panic forcing women, children and other residents to flee into nearby jungles for safety.
According to reports, multiple homes were torched during the attack, while properties were looted and villagers allegedly fired upon. The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) Working Committee claimed that more than 15 houses were burned down in Choro village alone.
Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing described the incident not as an internal communal clash but as an “external aggression,” asserting that the attack was carried out by suspected KNA-B and PDF militants operating from across the border.
“Many houses were burnt and several people injured, most of the injured belonging to the Vaiphei community, indicating that the incident was not a communal clash but an act of external aggression,” Keishing stated.
The MLA further pointed out that no Tangkhul Naga villagers were reportedly injured in the assault and said the pattern of violence, along with accounts from affected residents, suggested a coordinated external attack rather than ethnic confrontation.
Keishing also alleged that two villagers were abducted during the assault and remain missing, urging security agencies to immediately intensify search operations and strengthen security across vulnerable border villages in Kamjong district.
Serious concerns were also raised over the response of security forces stationed in the area.
According to the legislator, villagers expressed dissatisfaction over the alleged absence of timely intervention from the nearby Assam Rifles outpost despite the scale of the attack. Keishing said clarification would be sought from the State government, particularly the Home Department, regarding the response mechanism.
In a strongly worded statement, the Tangkhul Naga Long condemned the attack as a “coordinated cross-border assault” and accused KNA-B-backed PDF militants of targeting civilian settlements along the sensitive frontier.
The TNL alleged that civilians, including women, were injured, villagers were rounded up and tortured, and entire families were displaced during the violence.
The organisation further questioned the role of security forces deployed in the region and urged the Centre to take immediate action to protect border villages and uphold security along the Indo–Myanmar border. (With inputs from Ukhrul Times)
