At least 24 houses in two abandoned Naga villages under Chalwa Police Station in Kangpokpi district were reduced to ashes after armed militants allegedly set them ablaze around 5 am today, while displaced villagers sheltering at Makui Khunjao reported a subsequent attempt to attack their temporary settlement.
The affected villages—Makui Thanamba and Makui Chamruipiu—are located around 15 km northeast of Chalwa Police Station and about 2–3 km apart. Villagers had reportedly abandoned the two settlements several days ago following threats of attacks and taken shelter at Makui Khunjao, around 12 km away.
According to villagers, the armed militants also attempted to attack Makui Khunjao after setting fire to the abandoned villages. The attackers reportedly retreated after village volunteers retaliated. Villagers subsequently expressed concern over the safety of Makui Thebram, located around 7 km from Makui Khunjao, after armed men were allegedly seen surrounding the area.
Ground reports said all the houses in Makui Thanamba and Makui Chamruipiu were completely gutted. A villager, Akham, said each of the two villages had around 12–14 houses and that residents had already fled the area fearing attacks.
The latest violence has triggered strong resentment among the displaced Naga villagers over the security response. Villagers alleged that security forces had not reached the affected villages even by late afternoon despite being informed about the arson. They also alleged that the Officer-in-Charge of Chalwa Police Station did not proceed to the site after receiving information about the incident.
Armed attack reported at two Noney locations, houses torched
Suspected Kuki militants carried out separate attacks at two locations under Nungba Police Station in Noney district early today, with three to four houses reportedly burnt down at Kapningching Mukti Part 5 and a village bunker coming under sustained gunfire at Tazeikaiphun Part 3 along National Highway-37.
Police officials confirmed the incidents, saying the attack on the Tazeikaiphun bunker began at around 6:30 am and triggered an exchange of fire that continued for nearly two hours. Village guards reportedly engaged the attackers using licensed firearms.
Assam Rifles and state police personnel subsequently moved into the area and secured the location. No civilian casualties were reported in the preliminary assessment, while the extent of property damage is being ascertained.
The incident has also raised questions over the source of ammunition allegedly recovered from the site. Tazeikaiphun residents claimed that some spent cartridges found after the gunfight carried headstamp markings that they associated with government-owned ordnance facilities.
According to the villagers, markings included “KF”, which they identified with Ammunition Factory Khadki, and “OFV”, which they associated with Ordnance Factory Varangaon.
The allegations have raised fresh concerns over the security of vulnerable villages along the Kangpokpi-Senapati border areas, particularly after repeated attacks on settlements under Chalwa Police Station.
Three other villages under the same police station—Tapon Khunjao, Tapon Khunou and Makui Piporam—were set ablaze by armed miscreants on September 1 and 2.
Meanwhile, the Makui Village Authority issued a statement titled “Cry for Justice”, urging immediate intervention by the government. The authority alleged that armed cadres belonging to the KNF(P), KNF(N) and KRA carried out a coordinated attack on Makui Chamruipiu, Langka and Thanamba villages early this morning. The allegations could not be independently verified.
The Village Authority said the attacks had destroyed homes and livelihoods accumulated over generations and forced residents to flee for safety. It questioned the continued operation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework in the face of alleged violations by armed groups and demanded its immediate termination in respect of groups it accused of targeting civilians.
The authority also demanded permanent deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in the affected areas, full compensation and rehabilitation for families who lost their homes and property, and a time-bound investigation leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
The Village Authority appealed to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Chief Minister of Manipur to intervene immediately, warning that failure to protect vulnerable settlements could expose more villages to attacks.
