Imphal: Violence erupted along the volatile Imphal-Tamenglong (IT) Road early Tuesday morning after around 50-100 suspected Kuki armed militants allegedly attacked several Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Naga villages in Kangpokpi district, setting homes and properties on fire and maintaining sustained gunfire for several hours.
Headcount of Armed Kuki Militants at Tapon Naga Village: A video clip reportedly captured by Naga village guards at Tapon (Zeliangrong) Naga Village in Kangpokpi district shows a group of armed men, identified by local sources as armed Kuki militants, moving inside the Naga village during the reported attack on Naga villagers. The footage is being used by village authorities to assess the number of armed men involved in the assault:
Local sources said the attacks began in the early hours and continued until around noon, raising fresh concerns over the security of Naga settlements along the strategic road corridor.
The Makui Village Authority, in a statement condemning the incident, said armed assailants attacked Pipuram Naga Village at approximately 4 a.m., opening indiscriminate fire before setting houses ablaze and destroying household belongings, food grains and other property.
The attackers then allegedly moved towards the main Makui Naga Village, where firing continued, according to the Village Authority. The statement said the militants appeared intent on setting houses on fire and inflicting casualties among villagers.
Residents and local sources reported that firing in the area continued for several hours, with the assault reportedly not subsiding until about 12 noon.
Several Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Naga Villages Reportedly Targeted
According to information emerging from the area, three Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Naga settlements, the Upper Tapon (Tapon Namsan), Lower Tapon (Tapon Namgong), and Makui Pipupram were among the villages affected by the attacks.
Sources also reported attacks in the vicinity of Tapon and Thonglang Akutpa villages. Pipupram, a Liangmai Naga settlement located approximately eight kilometres from Makui, was reportedly set ablaze during the assault.
The attackers were alleged by local sources to be Kuki armed militants. A video circulated on social media and attributed by sources familiar with the area showed thick smoke rising from a Naga Village amid the surrounding hills along the IT Road. The footage appeared to show structures burning, although NEWIRE could not independently establish the exact location or time at which the video was recorded.
Casualty figures were not immediately available.
Security Forces Reportedly Delayed
The prolonged nature of the attack has also brought the movement of security forces into focus.
Local sources said Indian Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had not reached the affected villages for several hours after the attacks began. According to accounts from the area, security personnel were still on their way while the firing and arson were taking place.
The delay has raised questions among residents over the security arrangements protecting vulnerable settlements along the IT Road.
Reports also indicated that portions of the IT Road were obstructed with stones and makeshift barricades. Local sources alleged that Kuki civilians had blocked sections of the road, potentially restricting the movement of reinforcements and Central Forces and contributing to the reported delay in their arrival.
Below is the video clip of alleged kuki civilians, speaking in kuki dialect, blocking the Imphal - Tamei (IT) Road with rocks to block any re-enforcements, while the attack on Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Nagas was being carried out by the suspected Kuki Militant at IT Road.
Below is the video clip of alleged kuki civilians, speaking in kuki dialect, blocking the Imphal - Tamei (IT) Road by felling tress to block any re-enforcements, while the attack on Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Nagas was being carried out by the suspected Kuki Militant at IT Road.
No Immediate Casualty Figures
Despite reports of sustained firing and the burning of houses, there were no immediate confirmed reports of deaths or injuries from Tuesday morning's attacks.
The extent of property destruction, the number of houses damaged or destroyed and the condition of residents in the affected villages remained unclear as information continued to emerge.
The security situation in the surrounding area also remained fluid.
Attack Comes Days After Makui Ambush
The latest violence comes only days after another deadly incident involving residents of Makui.
In its statement, the Makui Village Authority alleged that four villagers from Makui were killed in a pre-planned ambush by Kuki militants on August 27, 2026, while travelling between Makui Ashang village and Thanamba village.
Referring to Tuesday's attack, the Authority said: “And today again, within a few days, they have attacked Pipuram and main Makui Village.”
The Village Authority described the incidents as part of what it characterised as a continuing campaign against Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Naga settlements along the IT Road.
It alleged that the attacks represented a “direct attempt to wipe out Liangmai (Zeliangrong) Nagas from IT Road area and to grab our ancestral land,” while condemning what it called “cowardly and barbaric acts.”
Those allegations have not been independently established.
Security Response Under Scrutiny
Tuesday's reported violence is likely to intensify scrutiny of the security arrangements along the IT Road, particularly the protection available to isolated Naga villages located in the hills. The reported delay in the arrival of Army and CRPF personnel, coupled with claims of road blockades, is now a key issue requiring clarification from the authorities.
NEWIRE is seeking confirmation from the Kangpokpi district administration, security agencies and other officials regarding the sequence of events, the deployment of forces, the reported road blockades and the extent of damage caused in the affected villages.
As of the time of publication, official confirmation of the attacks, the identities of the perpetrators and the casualty figures was awaited.
This is a developing story by NEWire.in
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