Pre-Dawn Attack Torches Kuki Village in Manipur, Allegations of NSCN Involvement
An armed group attacked and set fire to a Kuki village in Manipur's Noney district early Thursday morning, widening the scope of ethnic conflict in the region. The attack on Leikot Kuki village occurred around 5 a.m., according to the Kuki Inpi, the apex body of the Kuki community in Jiribam, Tamenglong, and Noney districts.
The Kuki Inpi alleged that suspected members of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), also known as the Isak-Muivah faction, carried out the attack. The organisation claimed that village volunteers, armed only with licensed single-barrel firearms and limited resources, attempted to defend the village but were overwhelmed by attackers using automatic rifles and mortar shells.
Thursday's incident took place more than 200 kilometres west of the India-Myanmar border, where recent violence has escalated. Earlier, Naga groups allegedly torched the Phaimol Kuki village, and Kuki extremists reportedly destroyed Huimin Thana and Kherongram villages in retaliation. Those villages lie in Kamjong district along the border.
The attack indicates an expansion of the Kuki-Naga conflict zone, which began in Ukhrul district and spread to Kamjong and Kangpokpi districts. The Kuki Inpi condemned the attack, questioning the inadequate security arrangements in vulnerable areas of Noney district and demanding immediate government intervention. It also called for a thorough and impartial investigation to identify and punish those responsible.
The NSCN has not reacted to the allegations. However, Naga civil society organisations suggested that the Kukis may have staged the incident, casting doubt on the sequence of events.
