Arson Attacks Destroy 15 Homes in Manipur Border Village

Imphal: Fifteen houses burned to the ground in Phaimol village on July 1. Unidentified arsonists set the fires around 12:30 pm near the Indo-Myanmar border. The village sits 45 km from Chassad Police Station. Villagers had already fled the area due to local unrest, so nobody got hurt in the blaze. The village church survived the fire, but every house turned to ash.

A second attack followed shortly after. Armed men targeted the Tangkhul village of Shangkhalok around 1:45 pm. Security forces rushed to the scene to stop the destruction. The intervention saved the bulk of the settlement. Still, fire gutted several small houses belonging to Myanmar refugees and a few homes owned by Tangkhul locals. Seven Tangkhul houses suffered damage, while another seven remain standing.

Assailants also hit Huimine Thana. Seven houses at this Tangkhul settlement were destroyed. Officials confirmed no casualties occurred during these incidents. Police plan to file cases, noting, "a thorough investigation has been launched to identify those responsible and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the attacks." Authorities are now hunting for the suspects behind the fires.