Fresh violence erupted in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Monday morning when armed assailants attacked N Teikhang, a Kuki-inhabited village along the strategically important Imphal–Tamenglong (IT) Road. Two civilians were killed and others injured. Several houses were also set on fire.
According to official and local accounts, the attack took place between around 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. under the T Waichong subdivision. Armed men allegedly opened fire indiscriminately at villagers and torched homes, forcing many residents to flee into nearby forests. Security forces were rushed to the area amid reports of continued exchange of fire between groups linked to the two communities.
The Twilang Area Kuki CSO Working Committee, in a press release issued on Monday, identified the deceased as Mrs. Tingneichin Lhouvum (40), wife of Tongpao Lhouvum; Mrs. Hoineineng Lhoujem (21), wife of Thanggoulen Lhoujem; and Mr. Lamtinthang Lhoujem (36), son of Seilun Lhoujem. It also listed four critically injured persons: Mrs. Nemneichong Lhoujem (50), Mr. Seilun Lhoujem (70), Deilhing Haokip (55), and Kamtinsei Chongloi (38).
The committee alleged that the attack was carried out by approximately 50 cadres of the NSCN (IM) and its proxy ZUF (K). It described the incident as “unprovoked and barbaric” and an assault on civilians, particularly unarmed women. It demanded an immediate investigation, arrests and prosecution, along with protection for the injured being moved to hospital.
Reports confirmed two deaths, identified as Lamtinthang (35) and Neichin (or Tingneichin). At least one injury, involving 65-year-old Seilun, was confirmed, while some reports also mentioned a second injured woman, Nemneichong.
The village is located roughly seven kilometres from Chalwa in the fringe area of the IT Road. The 114-km corridor connects Kangpokpi with Tamenglong via Tamei and has repeatedly emerged as a flashpoint.
The latest attack came just four days after a deadly ambush on the same corridor. On August 27, four Liangmai Naga civilians were killed and one injured when gunmen attacked a vehicle between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga villages. The victims included a village authority chairman and a school principal.
Naga organisations, including the United Naga Council (UNC), blamed Kuki militant groups for the attack. Kuki sources disputed the characterisation and pointed to earlier provocations. Survivors said they drove into an ambush by dozens of armed men. The security retrieval of the bodies was delayed, further increasing local anger.
The back-to-back incidents are part of a new and dangerous phase of Naga–Kuki clashes that intensified in early 2026, after the earlier Meitei–Kuki violence of 2023 had partially subsided under President’s Rule. More than 20 people have been killed and numerous houses burned in the hill districts since February. The IT Road has also witnessed periodic blockades, ambushes and arson. Both communities allege that armed groups from the other side operate with relative impunity.
On Monday, the UNC also issued an urgent directive instructing tribe presidents, CNPO, NPO and the Joint Tribal Council to ensure that villagers do not cooperate with government officials undertaking the census exercise scheduled to begin September 1.
The directive continues the UNC’s public stand of “NRC first: no census, no delimitation before implementation of NRC in Manipur.” It reflects deeper concerns over demography, identity and political representation that now overlap with the armed conflict.
Civil society groups on the Kuki side have repeatedly appealed for safe civilian and medical movement along the IT Road. Both communities have also demanded stronger security deployment and impartial investigations.
The Twilang committee stressed that patience and restraint must not be mistaken for weakness and called on the government to fulfil its constitutional duty to protect every citizen.
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