Houses Torched In Manipur's Border Villages, Kuki And Naga Tribes Trade Blame

Violence erupted in Manipur's Kamjong district today with several villages near the border with Myanmar coming under arson attacks, reigniting fears of escalation in the already volatile hill district.According to reports, a Kuki-dominant village and two Tangkhul Naga villages were affected by the violence. Several houses were set on fire. The extent of damage or any casualty could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.The incident triggered a fresh war of allegations between Kuki and Naga organisations, with each side accusing the other of carrying out coordinated attacks.Naga village authorities alleged Kuki armed groups, including those of the Kuki National Army-B (KNA-B), were responsible for torching houses in Kongkan Thana and Shangkalok, two Tangkhul Naga villages near the international border. They alleged the attacks were carried out almost simultaneously and accused the Kuki groups of escalating tensions in the region.The Naga village authorities demanded immediate deployment of adequate security forces, restoration of peace and stringent action against those responsible for attacking civilian settlements.The Kuki Inpi Manipur alleged Phaimol village was attacked by the NSCN-IM along with the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA), an armed group operating from Myanmar. KIM said all 20 houses in Phaimol were burnt to the ground, forcing the entire population to flee.KIM said the latest incident was part of a continuing pattern of attacks on Kuki villages in Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts during 2026. It listed several villages, including K Songlung, Litan-Sareikhong, Songphel, Mullam, Lanchal, Molnoi, Kharam Vaiphei, Loibol Khullen, Kultuh and Phaimol, as having been targeted in separate arson incidents this year.Both sides have appealed to the Centre, the state government and security agencies to intervene immediately to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of civilians living in the sensitive border region.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 officials continued to assess the ground situation.The fresh violence comes amid heightened security concerns along the India-Myanmar border, where sporadic incidents have continued to fuel tensions between communities despite intensified security operations across the state.