Imphal: At least 20 houses were gutted in an arson attack in Litan village township in Manipur’s Ukhrul district early on Monday, following a clash between a Tangkhul Naga man and a Kuki man, officials said.
The incident occurred around 12.30 a.m., hours after the State government imposed prohibitory orders under Section 122 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, from 7 p.m. on Sunday amid rising tension in Litan Sareikhong along the Imphal–Ukhrul road under Litan police station.
Officials said suspected miscreants set fire to houses belonging to members of the Tangkhul Naga community. Videos of the blaze have since circulated widely on social media.
AS Sterling (42), son of late AS Paoshim of Sarkaphung village in Ukhrul, sustained injuries in the attack.
To contain the situation, the District Magistrate requisitioned additional security forces, including four columns of the Assam Rifles, two additional companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, four columns of the 8 Bihar Regiment, and personnel from the 4th Mahar Regiment. While tension persisted, officials said the situation was under control.
Several civil society organisations from both communities, including the Kuki Students’ Organisation and the Katho Katamnao Long, a Tangkhul students’ organisation, appealed for the restoration of peaceful coexistence.
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho chaired an emergency public meeting at the Litan police station on Monday, attended by senior civil, police and political officials. Those present included the presidents of the Tangkhul Naga Long, Tangkhul Shanao Long and Katho, the General Officer Commanding of the Assam Rifles, the Ukhrul MLA, the BJP State vice-president, the Ukhrul Deputy Commissioner, the Sub-Divisional Officer, the Sub-Divisional Collector and the Additional Superintendent of Police.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh said in a post on X that he had visited RIMS Hospital to meet those injured in the incident and assured them of all necessary medical support for a speedy recovery.