Manipur: Injured pastor brought to Senapati hospital after Naga villages attacked

A pastor who was injured while fleeing an armed attack on several Naga villages along the Imphal-Tamenglong Road in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district was brought to the District Hospital in Senapati on Wednesday, September 2, a day after the attack.

Pastor Luithuibou Newmai, who sustained bullet and pellet injuries, was reportedly unable to be evacuated on Tuesday due to the absence of an ambulance. He was brought to Senapati the following day under security escort.

The attack, which began in the early hours of Tuesday and continued for several hours, reportedly targeted Pipuram Makui, Naga Tapon (Old) and Naga Tapon Namsan (New) villages.

More than 30 houses, including a church, were reportedly burnt during the violence, while several vehicles, heavy machinery, food stocks and other livelihood-related properties were also destroyed.

Two civilians, including Pastor Luithuibou, were reportedly injured in the attack.

Speaking from his hospital bed, the pastor recounted how he remained trapped amid continuous firing from around 3:45 am until nearly 12:30 pm.

“As I tried to move out, I was shot,” he said.

He sustained injuries to his right hand and back. Doctors reportedly found around seven pellets lodged near his spine.

The pastor said the bag he was carrying, which contained his Bible and a torchlight, may have helped save his life during the attack.

According to him, the violence left extensive destruction in the affected villages. At least 13 houses, including a church granary, were reportedly burnt in Naga Tapon Namsan, while at least 10 houses, including a church, were destroyed in Tapon Naga.

Several vehicles and heavy machinery, including trucks, a JCB excavator, stone crusher, motorcycles and an Eeco van, were also reportedly burnt.

The injured pastor expressed dissatisfaction with the security response, alleging that security personnel stationed nearby could have reached the affected villages within five to seven minutes.

He claimed that despite the prolonged firing, there was no immediate intervention and that security forces from Senapati reached the area only around 1 pm.

The alleged delay has raised concerns among local residents over the adequacy of security deployment in vulnerable areas.

Locals also drew comparisons with a recent combing operation at Taphou, where around 1,000 COBRA personnel were reportedly deployed. They questioned why a much smaller security presence was available when three vulnerable villages came under a prolonged armed attack.

Meanwhile, the Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur, has urged the Government of India and the Manipur government to immediately strengthen security in vulnerable villages, protect civilian lives and ensure that those responsible for the attack and destruction are brought to justice.