Fresh Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur’s Kamjong leave over 20 houses gutted

Fresh violence broke out in Manipur's Kamjong district on Wednesday after armed clashes between Naga and Kuki groups left more than 20 houses destroyed by fire in villages near the India-Myanmar border, officials said.

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

The situation escalated later in the afternoon as suspected militants and armed village volunteers allegedly carried out retaliatory attacks on neighbouring villages. Officials said at least 12 more houses belonging to the Naga community were torched in the subsequent violence.

Security forces were rushed to the affected areas and launched area domination operations to restore order. Officials said the situation remained tense but under control, with additional personnel deployed to prevent further escalation. No casualties had been officially reported till Wednesday evening.

The fresh clashes come amid heightened tensions between the Naga and Kuki communities following the killing of six Naga civilians, whose bodies were recovered in Kangpokpi district on 11 June after they were allegedly abducted on 13 May. The killings sparked widespread protests, counter-economic blockades and renewed hostility between the two communities.

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

Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Manipur, a leading Kuki organisation, condemned what it described as the burning of a Kuki village by armed Naga cadres.

"This latest attack is yet another addition to the systematic campaign of violence and destruction targeting Kuki villages in the Tangkhul-dominated hill districts of Manipur," KIM said in a statement.

The organisation also questioned the circumstances surrounding the attack, claiming the village had been under the protection of security forces until a day before the incident.

"What makes this incident particularly alarming is that the village had been under the protection of the security forces, whose personnel vacated the post only a day before the arson took place. The timing raises serious concerns regarding the security arrangements in vulnerable villages and necessitates an immediate and transparent inquiry into the circumstances that enabled the attack," the statement added.

The violence comes days after Kuki-Zo Council chairman Henlianthang Thanglet publicly apologised for the killing of the six Naga civilians and called for an impartial investigation into all acts of violence linked to Manipur's prolonged ethnic conflict.

Addressing reporters in Churachandpur, Thanglet acknowledged that the Kuki-Zo community had committed a grave mistake.

"The Kuki-Zo people made a grave mistake in killing the six Naga civilians," he said, adding that the killings were carried out "out of emotion."

However, several Naga organisations rejected the apology as "insincere" and reiterated their demand for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Wednesday's clashes underscore the fragile security situation in Manipur's hill districts, where ethnic tensions continue to simmer despite ongoing security deployments and repeated appeals for peace.

With IANS inputs