Imphal: Fourteen houses were reduced to ashes after unidentified miscreants launched an arson attack on Somjaphai village along the Imphal-Tamei road in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Saturday afternoon.
Reports indicated that heavy gunfire echoed through the area at approximately 1:00 PM, moments before the structures were set ablaze.
Security forces stationed nearby immediately rushed to the scene, only to find that the entire population of the village had already fled to safer locations. A police team was also deployed to the area to assess the situation.
No injuries or casualties were reported in the incident.
The Kuki Civic Action Committee (KCAC) issued a strong condemnation of the incident, accusing armed groups NSCN-IM and ZUF-K of orchestrating targeted attacks against Kuki-Zo civilians.
In an official statement, the committee further alleged that these groups might be receiving covert sponsorship or tolerance from authorities to weaken the Kuki-Zo community and force compromises on its political demands.
However, the committee did not provide evidence to substantiate these claims, and the allegations could not be independently verified.
According to the KCAC, the ongoing violence has displaced hundreds of families and fueled widespread fear and insecurity within the Kuki-Zo community.
The committee stated that 29 Kuki villages, including Somjaphai, have been attacked, looted, or burned during the unrest, displacing over 2,000 civilians across multiple districts. It also claimed that 26 Kuki-Zo civilians have lost their lives since the resurgence of the conflict.
Additionally, the committee criticized both the Central and Manipur governments for their alleged inaction despite receiving numerous representations, protests, and memorandums demanding security for vulnerable villages.