Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: A CRPF Sub-Inspector sustained a bullet injury to his left foot Monday morning after violence flared in Manipur's Senapati district. Pradeep Singh, serving with the 36th Battalion, was caught in an exchange of fire at 10 am in the Taphou area. He was moved to Senapati Hospital for treatment.
Trouble began earlier that morning. Unidentified armed individuals torched two houses around 4:30 am in a border cluster near the 9 Manipur Rifles battalion headquarters. One home belonged to a Kuki family, while the other belonged to a Poumai Naga resident. While no immediate casualties occurred during the arson, the situation quickly devolved into stone-pelting and gunfire.
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority condemned the destruction. They labeled the event as "highly deplorable, inhuman and unacceptable" in a statement. The authority issued a 24-hour ultimatum for those responsible to settle the matter under Kuki customary law. Failure to comply, they warned, would release the authority from responsibility for any subsequent untoward incidents.
Tension triggered a blockade on National Highway-2, linking Imphal to Dimapur. Protesters obstructed the road near the Senapati headquarters using burning tires and debris. Fearing retaliatory attacks, some residents fled their homes with their belongings. Locals also claimed armed Kuki groups attacked a nearby Liangmai Naga village, though this report remains unverified.
Security forces flooded the zone. Assam Rifles personnel, state police commandos, and additional detachments established patrols and flag marches to contain the unrest. This outbreak follows a long string of regional violence. In May, four people died in Noney and Kangpokpi during twin ambushes. The National Investigation Agency continues to probe the deaths of six Naga men found near Kharam Vaiphei village last year.
Updated at 24th August 2026 at 5:49pm
The chaos in Senapati took place on Monday, August 24. While local authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the arson, residents are seeking help as they abandon their homes. District officials and community leaders are now pleading for restraint to keep the situation from spiraling further.
Violence also jumped to Ukhrul district the same night. Suspected militants opened fire on the Tangkhul Naga village of Sinakeithei around 12:10 am. Gunmen hiding near the local cemetery at Leplen Nepali Basti pumped six to seven rounds toward the village. No one was hurt, but locals are rattled by the recent withdrawal of the Maha Regiment from the area. The village now relies on a mix of BSF, Manipur Rifles, and civil police, but villagers say the security swap has left them exposed.
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