Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, September 9 :
The Sagolmang Area Naga Students’ Association (SANSA) has strongly condemned the shocking incident in which armed Kuki militants allegedly intercepted a passenger bus along the Sinakeithei–Imphal route at Molnom village on Monday morning.
According to reports, the incident occurred between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., when the militants stopped the bus, forcibly seized passengers’ mobile phones, and examined them for possible video recordings of militant camps or activities in the area. Eyewitnesses stated that the militants further resorted to blank firing, triggering panic among the passengers and causing fear and insecurity among civilians.
“This barbaric, cowardly, and unlawful act against innocent commuters is utterly intolerable,” SANSA declared in a statement issued by its president, Shankhui Raikhan. The students’ body demanded that the government and security agencies immediately take stringent measures to identify and punish those responsible, stressing that the safety of civilians cannot be compromised.
Footage of the incident surfaced on a Facebook page called Zokhan Khaul, captioned “Free Movement at your own risk,” further heightening concerns over security along the route.
Sinakeithei, a Tangkhul Naga village under Ukhrul Assembly Constituency, lies about 42 kilometers from Imphal. Local residents fear such unchecked militant activities could severely endanger free movement between Ukhrul and the state capital.
SANSA warned that if such heinous incidents continue without decisive intervention from authorities, it will be compelled to take stronger courses of action in defense of the security and dignity of its people.
The incident adds to growing anxieties over lawlessness and the vulnerability of civilians traveling through conflict-sensitive areas of Manipur.