Manipur: 14 Houses Burned in Kangpokpi Arson Attack; KCAC Alleges Armed Group Involvement
Fourteen houses were burned down after unidentified miscreants allegedly carried out an arson attack at Somjaphai village along the Imphal-Tamei road in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Saturday afternoon.
Heavy gunfire was reportedly heard around 1:00 PM, shortly before the houses were set ablaze. Security forces stationed nearby rushed to the area, but by then, residents had fled to safer locations. A police team was also deployed to assess the situation.
No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
The Kuki Civic Action Committee (KCAC) condemned the attack and alleged that armed groups NSCN-IM and ZUF-K were behind targeted attacks on Kuki-Zo civilians. The committee also alleged possible covert support or tolerance from authorities, but provided no evidence, and the claims could not be independently verified.
According to the KCAC, the ongoing conflict has displaced hundreds of families and increased insecurity among the Kuki-Zo community. It claimed that 29 Kuki villages, including Somjaphai, have been attacked, looted or burned, displacing more than 2,000 civilians across several districts.
The committee further claimed that 26 Kuki-Zo civilians have been killed since the resurgence of the conflict and criticized the Central and Manipur governments over what it described as inadequate action despite repeated appeals for security.
