GUWAHATI: Fresh violence broke out in Manipur's Kamjong district on Wednesday, July 1, with several villages near the India-Myanmar border reportedly coming under arson attacks, triggering renewed tensions in the already volatile hill district.
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According to reports, one Kuki-dominated village and two Tangkhul Naga villages were affected in the violence, with several houses set ablaze.
The extent of the damage and whether there were any casualties could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.
The incident has sparked a fresh exchange of allegations between Kuki and Naga organisations, with each side accusing the other of orchestrating coordinated attacks.
In separate statements, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and the Kuki Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Working Committee condemned the alleged torching of around 20 houses in Phaimol Kuki village. The organisations accused the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) of carrying out the attack with the support of the Myanmar-based Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA).
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) also alleged that NSCN-IM cadres, along with members of the SNA, attacked Phaimol village, burning all 20 houses to the ground and forcing residents to flee.
Meanwhile, authorities from the Tangkhul Naga community alleged that Kuki armed groups, including cadres of the Kuki National Army-B (KNA-B), were responsible for setting fire to houses in Kongkan Thana and Shangkalok, two Tangkhul Naga villages located near the international border. They claimed the attacks were carried out almost simultaneously and accused Kuki armed groups of escalating tensions in the area.
Both Kuki and Naga organisations have appealed to the Centre, the Manipur government and security agencies to intervene immediately to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of civilians living in the sensitive border region.
However, none of the allegations made by either side could be independently verified.
At the time of filing this report, the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles and other security agencies had not issued any official statement confirming the sequence of events or identifying those responsible for the attacks.
Security forces were reportedly deployed in the affected areas to prevent any further escalation, while authorities continued to assess the ground situation.
