The arson highlights deep fractures within Naga insurgent factions, with Eastern Flank and NSCN-IM rivalries spilling into the open in Manipur’s hill districts.
BY PC Bureau
March 29, 2026: Public outrage over a deadly factional clash among Naga insurgents erupted into arson in Ukhrul district on Sunday evening, as mobs set fire to the Wung Tangkhul Region Secretariat—also known as the NSCN Wung Regional Office. The attack was a direct reaction to the ambush killing of four NSCN Eastern Flank cadres the previous night in neighbouring Kamjong district.
Mobs have gathered at the Wung Tangkhul Region Office in connection with the incident that claimed the lives of four NSCN(EF) cadres
29 March,2026 pic.twitter.com/s9kKLENiya— INTEL-24 (@Tracking_Live) March 29, 2026
On the evening of March 28, 2026, between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm, four NSCN Eastern Flank cadres were ambushed and shot dead at Hongbei village junction, Kasom Khullen block, Kamjong district, while traveling along the Imphal–Kasom Khullen road. Two other cadres in the vehicle escaped unharmed.
According to the Eastern Flank’s official condolence message, signed by Lieut. Gen. A. Raman-MM, MC, the cadres were on routine duty “to stop and check timber and other business activities at the Indo-Myanmar border via Hongbei Village.” They had earlier met 2nd Lieutenant Starling of Lairam Village and others, before being ambushed on their return by 2nd Lieutenant Mathotmi of Shihai Khunou Village and his unit.
🚨🔥 Just now, the NSCN-IM Wung Tangkhul office Ukhrul was burned by a public mob.#NSCNIN #NSCNEF #Iran #ukhrul #manipur pic.twitter.com/UKycywEaqZ
— MANIPUR TIMEZ (@Manipur_Timez) March 29, 2026
The statement claims that indiscriminate firing occurred, despite some voices in the attacking party saying, “It’s us, let them go.” It further alleges that the order could not have come from a low-ranking officer and must have originated from “the highest level — Collective Leadership or the Longvibu.”
The Eastern Flank described the fallen cadres as “brave and beloved” who died “on the line of duty” and vowed that their sacrifice would not be forgotten.
READ: NSCN Ambush Signals Deadly Fight Over Timber Smuggling
Arson in Ukhrul
By Sunday evening, public anger in Ukhrul—the heartland of the Tangkhul Naga community—boiled over. Crowds gathered and completely burned down the Wung Tangkhul Region Secretariat, the administrative hub of NSCN-IM’s Tangkhul (Wung) area operations. Videos circulating on social media show flames engulfing the building as bystanders watched.
No casualties were reported, but the incident underscores deep fractures within Naga factions operating in Manipur’s hill districts. The arson occurred hours after the NSCN Eastern Flank issued its strongly worded condemnation of the fatal ambush.
READ: NSCN Claims Senior Command Ordered Killing of Four Cadres
NSCN-IM Denies Involvement
The NSCN-IM, parent organisation of the Wung Tangkhul Region, denied any involvement in the ambush, stating that no offensive orders were issued from its GHQ.
The ambush and subsequent arson come amid longstanding rivalries between NSCN factions, including the NSCN-IM and breakaway groups such as the Eastern Flank. Analysts note that such intra-Naga clashes have intensified recently, often tied to local resource disputes, border trade issues, and wider ethnic tensions between Naga and Kuki-Zo communities in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
Security forces have been deployed in the area, but no official statement has yet been issued regarding the arson or ambush investigation. Police conducted spot inquiries at the ambush site on Sunday morning, but the motive and exact perpetrators remain under investigation.
Local residents and civil society groups in Ukhrul have appealed for calm, even as the burning of the regional office sent shockwaves through the district.
This latest violence underscores the fragile peace in Manipur’s Naga-inhabited hills, where factional rivalries continue to claim lives and trigger rapid retaliatory actions. Further updates are awaited as investigations proceed.
