Border villages targeted as fresh cross-border violence alarms authorities.
A pre-dawn attack in Manipur’s Kamjong district along the India-Myanmar border has triggered fresh fears of escalation in the violence-hit State, with local leaders and civil society groups calling the incident an act of “external aggression” threatening India’s territorial integrity.
The attack took place on May 7 in the Tangkhul Naga villages of Namlee, Wanglee and Choro near the international border. Heavily armed militants, allegedly crossing over from Myanmar, reportedly set houses on fire, opened indiscriminate firing and forced villagers to flee their homes.
According to eyewitnesses, around 100 armed men entered the villages between 3:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Villagers alleged that sophisticated weapons, including possible drone-dropped munitions or rocket launchers, were used in the assault. At least 15–18 houses were reportedly torched. Two civilians, including a woman, were injured. There were also reports of abductions and looting.
The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) and Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing described the incident as a coordinated cross-border attack. They alleged that the Myanmar-based Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B), along with members of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), carried out the operation.
“This is external aggression on Indian soil,” Keishing said in statements that drew attention across Imphal.
Apex Naga organisations claimed that the attackers infiltrated the area between border pillars 89 and 95, taking advantage of the difficult terrain along the frontier.
Political reactions followed quickly after the incident.
On May 8, senior leaders of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), led by former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, addressed a press conference at Congress Bhawan in Imphal. The Congress leaders condemned the arson, destruction and alleged abductions, and accused the government of failing to secure vulnerable border villages.
“Whether internal or external, this represents a total failure of law and order,” Ibobi Singh reportedly said, questioning the effectiveness of Assam Rifles deployment in the border region.
The Congress also demanded immediate intervention from both the Centre and the State government to strengthen security and protect civilians.
The Coalition of Indigenes’ Rights Campaign (CIRCA) also issued a statement through Secretary General Leishangthem Lamyanba Meitei. Calling the incident a “cross-border terror attack,” the group pointed to the reported use of advanced weapons and linked the violence to the continuing unrest in Manipur since May 3, 2023.
“The nature, scale and frequency raise serious apprehensions about attempts at ethnic cleansing of indigenous populations,” CIRCA stated, urging the Centre to recognise what it described as the “external dimensions” of the Manipur crisis.
The organisation also called for strong action against KNA-B and PDF elements allegedly involved in the attack.
The United Naga Council (UNC), National People’s Party (NPP), and several Tangkhul organisations also condemned the violence. Some groups referred to retaliatory tensions linked to earlier incidents, including the alleged burning of a Kuki village such as Lanchah.
A Kuki-Zo organisation, Village Volunteers Eastern Zone (VVEF), reportedly claimed responsibility in one version of events as retaliation. However, local accounts and reports from Naga groups largely blamed cross-border militants. There were also reports that NSCN-IM cadres repelled parts of the attack.
Manipur has remained affected by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since 2023. The conflict has killed hundreds and displaced thousands of people across the State.
While the violence initially remained concentrated between the valley and hill regions, tensions have also spread into Naga-Kuki areas in districts such as Ukhrul and Kamjong.
The porous Indo-Myanmar border has further complicated the situation. Ongoing instability in Myanmar involving junta forces, ethnic armed groups and PDF fighters has raised concerns about militant movement across the frontier.
With central teams reportedly monitoring the situation and security forces remaining on high alert, residents in the border region now wait for both protection and long-term peace.
