By NE NOW NEWS
Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC) has rejected allegations linking Naga groups to the killing of three Thadou church leaders in Manipur, while claiming that suspected Kuki militant groups operating in the area may have been involved in the attack.
In a statement issued on Monday, the UNC condemned the May 13 ambush and described the victims as “warriors of peace and understanding”. The organisation said it would support legal action against those responsible for the killings.
The council alleged that social media campaigns accusing Nagas of involvement in the incident began shortly after the attack. It specifically referred to a statement issued by Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), which allegedly named the ZUF-Kamson Group and the NSCN-IM as perpetrators within hours of the killings.
According to the UNC, the condemnation letter carried the date “6/5/2026”, seven days before the ambush took place. The organisation questioned whether the statement had been prepared in advance and sought “concrete proofs” from Kuki Inpi Manipur regarding its allegations against Naga groups.
The UNC also criticised the response of security forces, including the Army, during the hostage situation that followed the ambush. It claimed that the headquarters of the 57 Mountain Division at Leimakhong was located close to the incident site and alleged that stronger intervention could have taken place on the same day.
The organisation further alleged that security deployment in vulnerable Naga areas remained “discriminatory and highly inadequate”.
Calling for stricter action against suspected Kuki militant groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, the UNC urged the Centre and the Manipur government to disarm militants and confine them to designated camps. It said the SoO pact should be scrapped if militant groups continued to violate the law.
The statement also referred to concerns raised earlier by Thadou Inpi Manipur regarding alleged tensions between “Kuki” and “Thadou” identities.
Citing a statement issued by the organisation on May 17, the UNC claimed that Rev Vumthang Sitlhou had publicly opposed the hoisting of the “Kuki-Zo Flag” on May 9 and was regarded as a prominent voice for Thadou identity.
The UNC further alleged that the ambush took place in what it described as a “Kuki militant-dominated area”, where infiltration by non-Kuki armed groups was “not possible”.
It also referred to alleged warnings issued earlier by KLA (L) against meetings with the Manipur Chief Minister in Churachandpur and claimed that the visit by the church leaders may have been viewed negatively by radical groups.
Without presenting direct evidence, the UNC alleged that the killings appeared to have “an intra-fold character” involving groups within the broader Kuki fold, while asserting that the involvement of non-Kuki armed groups was “beyond any doubt”.
The organisation appealed to the public not to spread “lies without proofs” regarding alleged Naga involvement and said more details related to the killings were gradually emerging from what it described as reliable sources.