The Eastern Command of the Naga Village Guard (NVG) has alleged that suspected Kuki militants, in collusion with the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B), carried out a coordinated cross-border attack on Tangkhul Naga settlements in Kamjong district on Wednesday, torching at least 25 houses and refugee shelters near the Indo-Myanmar border.
In a statement, the NVG described the incident as a “premeditated cross-border offensive” targeting Huimin Thana and Kherongram, a hamlet of Nampisha village. According to the organisation, the attack began after abandoned houses at Phaimol, a Kuki village under Kamjong Sub-Division, were allegedly set ablaze around 1.30 pm to create a pretext for launching assaults on the Naga settlements.
Citing eyewitness accounts, the NVG claimed that around 20 armed militants carrying sophisticated weapons crossed the Namya River from Phaikoh village near Border Pillar No. 102 before launching the attack. It alleged that villagers fled to safety as the assailants set fire to seven houses in Huimin Thana and 13 houses in Kherongram.
The organisation further alleged that 20 temporary shelters established at Kherongram in 2023 to accommodate 365 refugees displaced by political unrest in Myanmar were completely destroyed, leaving the refugee families without shelter.
The NVG claimed the latest attack mirrored the pattern of previous incidents, including the burning of Lanchah village prior to the cross-border attacks on Tangkhul Naga villages Z Choro, Wanglee and Namlee on May 7 this year.
Expressing concern over the security situation, the organisation alleged that the attack occurred despite the deployment of the Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Manipur Police at Kherongram, adjacent to Huimin Thana.
Condemning the incident, the Eastern Command of the NVG urged Tangkhul Naga villages along the international border to remain on maximum alert against what it described as repeated militant offensives. It also reaffirmed its commitment to protect the “land, identity and people,” warning that any future threats to the Naga community would be met with “stronger measures without compromise.”
The allegations made by the NVG could not be independently verified. There was no immediate response from the security forces or the organisations named in the statement at the time of filing this report.