Militants attack Kangpokpi village, burn two houses amid six-hour gunfight

Suspected militants attacked a hill village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Tuesday night, burning down at least two houses during an exchange of fire with security forces that lasted several hours, officials said on Wednesday.

According to an official account, a large group of militants carrying sophisticated weapons struck Chawangkining Naga village at around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The assault came hours after two Kuki women were shot dead at Leisangphai in Tamenglong district.

CRPF personnel stationed in the vicinity retaliated, the official said. Intermittent firing continued for nearly six hours, ending around 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday. The return fire kept the militants from entering the village, though two wooden houses on its periphery were gutted.

A resident, Daniel Charenamai, said the attack began around 10.30 p.m. and firing went on until about 4 a.m., crediting the CRPF contingent deployed in the village with preventing it from being overrun.

Condemnation of the violence came from leaders across the political spectrum. Naga Peoples' Front legislator and senior Naga leader Awangbou Newmai condemned both the killing of the two women and the burning of houses at Chawangkining. In a statement, he said such "barbaric and senseless acts" would never bring any good to any community.

The Kuki MLA from Saikul constituency in Kangpokpi district also condemned the killings, noting that one of the victims had recently graduated in nursing. Alleging the involvement of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K cadres, she described the killing of the innocent women as an act of sheer brutality that no political cause, ideology or grievance could justify.