The victims were identified as Tingneichin, Lamtinthang and Hoineng. Two houses were also reportedly burnt in the attack at Teikhang along the Imphal-Tamenglong Road on Monday.
BY PC Bureau
AUGUST 31: The death toll in Monday morning’s armed attack on Teikhang village along the Imphal-Tamenglong Road in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district has risen to three, including two Kuki-Zo women, according to local sources and a statement issued by a Kuki organisation. Four other villagers were injured and two residential houses were reportedly set ablaze.
The two victims identified in the initial reports were Tingneichin, wife of Tongpao, and Lamtinthang, son of Seilun. The third victim, identified in an updated statement, was Hoineng, wife of Thanggoulen.
The injured have been identified as Nemneichong, Seilun, Deilhing and Kamtinsei. Nemneichong was reported to be in critical condition.
Ina statement, Kuki Students’ Organisation (Sadar Hills) alleged that the attack was carried out by armed cadres of the Liangmnei Naga armed group led by NSCN-IM in collusion with ZUF (K). The allegations could not be independently verified. There was no immediate confirmation from Manipur Police, the district administration or security forces identifying those responsible for the attack.
The fresh casualties have further heightened tensions along the strategically important IT Road, coming only four days after four Naga civilians were killed in an ambush on the same corridor.
Attack follows Naga killings
The August 27 attack took place between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga villages, where armed assailants targeted a group of civilians. Four Naga civilians were killed and another person was injured. The victims included a school principal and members of the Makui Youth Club.
Naga organisations blamed Kuki militant groups for that attack, although the perpetrators have not been officially established.
The killings triggered anger in Naga areas and renewed demands for stronger security along the IT Road. The state government subsequently convened a high-level security meeting and directed authorities to take action against those responsible for the violence and against the illegal possession of weapons.
Monday’s attack has now raised fears of a retaliatory cycle of violence between Naga and Kuki groups in parts of Kangpokpi.
Teikhang attack
According to the statement issued by KSO Sadar Hills, armed men targeted residents of Teikhang in what the organisation described as an indiscriminate attack on civilians, including women.
The organisation expressed outrage over the killings and accused the government and security forces of failing to protect residents.
It also questioned how armed groups operating under ceasefire or ground-rule arrangements could allegedly move through the area while carrying weapons and attack civilians.
The organisation called on the state government and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately deploy additional central security forces to secure Teikhang and surrounding areas, apprehend those responsible and provide emergency medical assistance to the injured.
It also sought financial compensation and reconstruction assistance for the families of those killed and for residents whose homes were destroyed.
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NSCN-IM allegation
The allegation against NSCN-IM is particularly sensitive because the group has been under a ceasefire arrangement with the Centre for years. If its cadres are found to have been involved in an attack on civilians, it could raise serious questions about compliance with ceasefire provisions and the monitoring of armed personnel.
However, the allegation remains unverified.
In Manipur’s deeply polarised environment, competing claims about the identity of attackers can quickly fuel further violence. Establishing responsibility through an official investigation will therefore be critical.
Security agencies are expected to examine eyewitness accounts, available surveillance footage, weapons and other evidence, as well as the movements of armed groups in the area.
IT Road becomes a new flashpoint
The Imphal-Tamenglong Road passes through a strategically sensitive part of Kangpokpi inhabited by different communities. The corridor has witnessed growing tensions, armed attacks and allegations of militant involvement in recent months.
Monday’s incident was initially reported through messages circulating among local residents. Early accounts varied over the number of casualties and houses damaged. Subsequent community updates first reported two deaths before an updated statement confirmed a third fatality.
The changing casualty figures reflect the difficulty of obtaining verified information from conflict-affected areas, particularly in the immediate aftermath of an attack.
The latest figures — three dead, including two women, and four injured — remain based on local and community accounts pending official confirmation.
The broader security situation is particularly fragile because the latest killings follow the deaths of four Naga civilians only days earlier. Any perception that one attack is being answered by another could deepen mistrust and trigger further displacement or violence.
The wider Manipur conflict, which erupted in 2023 primarily between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, has already produced a complex security landscape involving multiple ethnic groups and armed organisations. The recent violence in Kangpokpi adds another dangerous dimension.
For residents of Teikhang, the immediate concern is the safety of those who remain in the village and the condition of those injured.
