Kamjobg (Manipur): Heavily armed militants launched a coordinated attack on Tangkhul Naga villages in the Kamjong district of Manipur early Thursday morning, causing widespread destruction. The assault, which took place near the India-Myanmar border, resulted in the torching of several homes and forced terrified residents to flee into the surrounding forests for safety. Officials confirmed that the attack targeted the settlements of Namlee, Wanglee, and Choro, all located within the Kasom Khullen police station area, less than one kilometre from the international boundary.
The incident began around 3:30 a.m., with eyewitnesses reporting that the attackers systematically targeted residential structures with arson. In Namlee, at least two houses were destroyed, while three to four were lost in Wanglee. In the village of Choro, multiple homes were reduced to ashes, although the local church was notably spared from the flames. One elderly woman sustained injuries while attempting to escape the violence. Furthermore, local legislator L Keishing reported that two individuals, including a woman, remain untraceable and are feared to have been abducted by the militants during the raid.
Phungyar MLA L Keishing characterized the event as a clear case of “external aggression,” alleging that the raid was carried out by Myanmar-based militant groups, specifically the Kuki National Army (Burma) and the People’s Defence Force. He expressed grave concern that the ongoing regional instability has shifted from internal conflict to cross-border incursions. Keishing criticized the total absence of Manipur Police in the remote border region and questioned the effectiveness of the Assam Rifles, noting that troops had visited the area just one day prior to the attack.
The Tangkhul Aze Katamnao Long, or the Southern Tangkhul Students’ Union, expressed intense outrage over what they described as a significant security lapse. The student body claimed that approximately 100 armed militants managed to cross the international boundary undetected to carry out the coordinated strike. They have called upon the state government to immediately deploy Manipur Police commandos to the affected border villages to restore order and prevent further incursions. Security forces, including the Assam Rifles, have since reached the area to assess the damage and conduct search operations for the missing residents.
