According to preliminary reports, the alleged ambush took place at around 8:30 a.m. between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga. Naga community sources alleged that Kuki militants were behind the attack.
The four deceased were identified as Tadsongbou Ringkangmai, founder and principal of Right Path School in T. Khullen; Mariakdibou Wijunamai, an executive member of the Makui Youth Club; Japou MK, a student leader from Thonglang Akutpa; and Anil Wijunamai, also an executive member of the Makui Youth Club.
Gaikamang Ringkangmai was reported injured, while Wisobou Charenamai, chairman of the Chawangkining Village Authority, was reported missing.
Separately, Kuki-Zo sources reported that farmers from Wakotphai Village came under heavy gunfire at around 9:20 a.m. near Naibet. The farmers, who had reportedly stayed overnight in temporary field huts to guard their paddy crops, were allegedly attacked while working in the fields.
Kuki-Zo sources attributed the attack to a combined group of Tangkhul and Liangmei Naga militants allegedly linked to the NSCN-IM. Local Kuki-Zo village volunteers reportedly returned fire while attempting to protect the farmers and facilitate their withdrawal from the area.
The Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers (KZVV), Twilang Lhang, subsequently issued a statement condemning what it described as an attack on unarmed Kuki farmers. The organisation said the IT Road had remained relatively calm despite the wider conflict and warned that attacks on civilians could undermine the fragile peace along the corridor.
The KZVV demanded that authorities identify and arrest those responsible, conduct a transparent and impartial investigation, issue a public statement and ensure the safety of farmers and other civilians travelling and working along the IT Road.
READ: Manipur: Kuki Farmers Come Under Heavy Fire in Kangpokpi
The two accounts have not been independently verified, and it remains unclear whether they refer to two separate incidents occurring within less than an hour of each other or to different accounts of the same episode. No detailed official account of the reported clashes, casualties or identities of the alleged attackers was immediately available.
The IT Road has emerged as a recurring flashpoint amid tensions between Naga and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur’s hill districts. Both communities have previously accused armed groups aligned with the other side of attacking civilians, farmers and settlements.
With conflicting accounts emerging from the area, confirmation from the district administration, police and security forces will be crucial in establishing what happened, who was involved and whether the reported incidents were connected.
Until such independent verification is available, claims regarding the identity of the attackers and the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths and firing should be treated as allegations.
