Militants attack Manipur village, torch two houses in six-hour gunfight

Suspected militants attacked Chawangkining Naga village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district late Tuesday night, triggering a gunfight with security forces and leaving at least two houses burnt, officials said on September 16.

The attack took place around 10.30 pm, with a large group of armed militants targeting the hill village. CRPF personnel stationed in the area retaliated after the firing began.

According to officials, intermittent firing continued for nearly six hours, until around 4.30 am on Wednesday. The security forces prevented the militants from entering the village, although two wooden houses located on its outskirts were set ablaze.

Villager Daniel Charenamai said the attack began around 10.30 pm and that firing continued until about 4 am.

“Our village was attacked around 10.30 pm. The CRPF personnel deployed here returned fire and prevented the village from being overrun,” he said.

The attack came hours after two Kuki women were shot dead at Leisangphai in neighbouring Tamenglong district.

Naga Peoples’ Front legislator and senior Naga leader Awangbou Newmai condemned both the killings and the burning of houses in Chawangkining. He said such acts of violence would not benefit any community.

A Kuki MLA from Saikul constituency in Kangpokpi also condemned the killing of the two women, saying one of the victims had recently graduated in nursing.

The MLA alleged that cadres of the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K were involved in the killings. “The killing of the innocent women is an act of sheer brutality that cannot be justified by any political cause, ideology or grievance,” she said.