Kamjong (Manipur): In a significant escalation of factional violence within the Naga political movement, four cadres of the proscribed NSCN Eastern Flank were shot dead on the night of Saturday, March 28, 2026. The incident occurred at the Hongbei village junction under the Kasom Khullen block in Manipur’s Kamjong district. According to police reports, the victims were travelling in a vehicle along the Imphal-Kasom Khullen road around 9:00 PM when they were intercepted and fired upon indiscriminately by a rival group.
The Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim (GPRN) released an official statement on Sunday, March 29, identifying the deceased as:
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Major (Posthumous) Sochipem Phungshok
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Sergeant Major (Posthumous) Zairay Vasah
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Sergeant (Posthumous) Bahnle Ahlahpya
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Sergeant (Posthumous) Thansomi Washi
Two other occupants of the vehicle managed to escape the ambush, though they reportedly sustained injuries. The NSCN Eastern Flank has directly accused its own top leadership—the Collective Leadership or the Longvibu (Commander-in-Chief)—of ordering the hit. According to the group’s statement, the cadres were on routine duty monitoring timber and business activities near the Indo-Myanmar border at the time of the attack.
The incident reflects deepening fault lines in the region, coming shortly after the Kamjong district administration ordered the surrender of licensed firearms due to rising tensions between rival Naga and Kuki militant groups. Security forces conducted a spot inquiry on Sunday morning and have launched a comprehensive investigation into the ambush. While area domination patrols have been intensified, the situation remains fragile as the Eastern Flank warned that the “sacrifice” of their cadres would not go in vain.
