Two Tangkhul Naga villages in Manipur's Kamjong district were set ablaze by suspected Kuki armed militants on Saturday, while three people sustained gunshot wounds in a separate gunfight, police said, as tensions escalated following deadly clashes between armed groups from the Kuki and Naga communities.
The latest violence came after a 36-year-old Kuki man was killed and four others injured in a gunfight in Chassad earlier on Saturday. Police suspect the attack on a Tangkhul Naga village was carried out in retaliation for the killing and injuries.
The villages of Skipe and Pilong, located near the India-Myanmar border, were set on fire by suspected Kuki armed militants. A senior police officer said no casualties had been reported in the arson incident. Police had not yet reached the affected villages because of a shortage of personnel.
Three Tangkhul Naga men injured in firing
Three Tangkhul Naga residents sustained gunshot wounds during a subsequent gunfight in Kamjong district. Police identified them as T. Chithung, a resident of Ningchou, and S. Malung and M. Shithung, both from Bungpa Khullen.
The injured were taken to Kamjong Hospital for treatment, officers said.
According to a statement issued by the Naga Village Guard-Eastern Command (NVG-EC), heavy firing began at around 2.30 pm on Saturday, with the group alleging that Kuki militants opened fire towards residential areas in Kamjong headquarters.
The statement said the firing caused fear and panic among the civilian Tangkhul Naga population.
Naga Village Guard alleges Assam Rifles involvement
The NVG-EC accused Kuki militants, whom it described as being in collusion with narco-terrorists, of carrying out what it called unprovoked firing towards civilian settlements.
The group also alleged that personnel of the 11 Assam Rifles stationed in Chassad assisted the armed group in the attack on Naga civilians.
According to the statement, Assam Rifles personnel advanced with two Casspir vehicles while firing heavily and launching several stun bombs towards civilian areas in Kamjong headquarters.
The NVG-EC alleged that some stun bombs landed on civilian homes and damaged properties in the surrounding areas of Kamjong town.
These allegations were made by the Naga Village Guard-Eastern Command. No independent confirmation of the claims was provided in the information available.
Violence follows deadly clash in Chassad
The latest incidents followed a gunfight between armed groups belonging to the Kuki and Naga communities in Chassad, which left a 36-year-old Kuki man dead and four others injured earlier on Saturday.
Police suspect the subsequent attack on a Tangkhul Naga village was linked to that incident, adding to tensions in the district.
The arson attacks on Skipe and Pilong have further heightened concerns over the security of villages near the India-Myanmar border. Police said no deaths had been reported in the burning of the two settlements, but personnel had yet to reach the locations because of a lack of manpower.