Fresh Naga-Kuki Clashes in Manipur Leave Over 20 Houses Torched

Fresh violence erupted in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Wednesday after armed clashes between Naga and Kuki groups led to the torching of more than 20 houses in villages near the India-Myanmar border, officials said.

According to a senior police official, the violence began in the morning when armed men allegedly attacked a Naga village from a nearby Kuki village, setting at least 10 houses on fire.

The situation escalated later in the afternoon when suspected militants and armed village volunteers allegedly carried out retaliatory attacks on other villages in the area.

Officials said at least 12 more houses belonging to the Naga community were burnt in the subsequent violence.

Security forces were immediately deployed to the affected villages and launched area domination operations to restore normalcy.

Authorities said the situation remains tense but under close watch, with additional security personnel deployed to prevent any further escalation.

The latest clashes come amid rising tensions between the Naga and Kuki communities following the killing of six Naga civilians. Their bodies were recovered on June 11 in Kangpokpi district after they were allegedly abducted on May 13.

The killings triggered widespread protests, counter-economic blockades and renewed hostility between the two communities.

The fresh violence also follows recent disputes over the movement of essential commodity convoys to Kuki-inhabited areas and demonstrations by various organisations.

No casualties have been officially reported in Wednesday’s violence.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) condemned the incident, alleging that a Kuki village in Kamjong district was reduced to ashes by armed cadres of Naga groups.

In a statement, KIM claimed the attack was part of a systematic campaign targeting Kuki villages in Tangkhul-dominated hill districts. It also questioned the security arrangements, noting that security personnel had vacated the village only a day before the arson and sought a transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Earlier, Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet publicly apologised for the killing of six Naga civilians and called for a fair, transparent and impartial investigation into all incidents linked to the ongoing ethnic unrest in Manipur.

Addressing the media in Churachandpur, Thanglet admitted that the killing of the six Naga civilians was a grave mistake committed in an emotional situation.

However, various Naga groups rejected the apology, describing it as "insincere" and demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the killings.