Armed men attack Naga village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi, torch homes as tensions rise

New Delhi: Armed assailants opened fire on a Naga village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district before setting houses ablaze late on Tuesday, in the latest eruption of violence in a region already grappling with renewed inter-community tensions. Officials said at least nine houses were burned at Tokpa Liangmai Naga village, while a Naga community organization claimed the destruction included 10 homes and a church.

The attack began at around 9.30pm, when armed men reportedly fired several rounds before torching mostly kutcha houses in the settlement. Residents from neighbouring villages rushed to Tokpa Liangmai and helped bring the flames under control, while additional security personnel were deployed after the assailants withdrew.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, and authorities were assessing the extent of the damage on Wednesday. The Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur, condemned the attack and alleged that armed men belonging to another community were responsible, although officials had not publicly identified the attackers.

The council demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the attack and called for stronger security arrangements in the area. It described the targeting of civilian homes and a place of worship as a serious act of violence, according to a statement cited by the media.

The violence followed another arson attack in the Kangpokpi-Senapati border belt on Monday, when unidentified armed men set three houses on fire at Kailenjang village. No casualty was reported in that incident, and security personnel were subsequently deployed in the area.

The latest incidents have come during a period of heightened tension between Naga and Kuki groups in parts of Manipur, adding another layer of instability to a state already fractured by the wider Meitei-Kuki-Zo conflict. Naga organizations in Senapati had on August 8 announced restrictions on the movement of Kuki people in the district, complicating government efforts to restore unrestricted travel along Manipur’s national highways.

Much of the current Naga-Kuki friction stems from the abduction of six Naga civilians from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district on May 13. Their mutilated bodies were recovered on June 10, sparking protests and demands for action against those responsible.

The United Naga Council had launched an indefinite inter-district economic blockade on May 17 as the hostage crisis unfolded, disrupting movement along highways passing through Naga-majority areas. The blockade has continued despite arrests in connection with the killings and government attempts to negotiate an end to the confrontation.

The Manipur government and the United Naga Council held their first formal round of talks at Senapati on August 10, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions but without an immediate breakthrough on lifting the blockade. The negotiations took place as authorities tried to restore highway traffic and revive regular transport links between the Imphal valley and areas to its north.

The security situation has remained fragile despite those initiatives, with the chief minister, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, chairing a Unified Command meeting on Monday to review law and order and security along the state’s highways. Senior officials from the state administration, Army, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force and other security agencies attended the meeting.

Manipur has endured prolonged ethnic unrest since violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted on May 3, 2023, leaving more than 260 people dead and over 60,000 displaced. Although the latest confrontation involves Naga and Kuki communities, the fresh attacks underline the continuing volatility of Manipur’s hill districts and the challenge facing authorities in preventing local disputes from widening into another cycle of retaliatory violence.