Fresh violence in Manipur's Kangpokpi district left a woman and a child injured on Sunday even as protests intensified across Naga-inhabited areas over the killing of six Liangmai Naga civilians, highlighting the widening faultlines in the state's prolonged ethnic conflict.
According to local sources, armed men attacked Thingkhongjang Kuki village, located along the Jiribam-Imphal railway corridor under Kangchup Geljang subdivision, at around 5 pm when residents had gathered at the local church for Sunday prayers.
Villagers alleged that the assailants opened indiscriminate fire with sophisticated weapons and hurled explosives, triggering panic among residents. Several houses were reportedly set ablaze before the attackers fled.
A woman sustained a gunshot wound to her thigh while a child was also injured. Both were evacuated by Assam Rifles personnel to the New Keithelmanbi Assam Rifles camp for initial treatment before being shifted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.
Local sources alleged that the attackers belonged to the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K. However, these claims could not be independently verified.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes in the state, condemned the attack, alleging that NSCN-IM cadres and the ZUF-K were behind the assault. It described the incident as a grave security lapse and demanded an independent judicial inquiry, enhanced protection for vulnerable villages and accountability for any operational failures.
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"It is beyond comprehension that heavily armed militants could infiltrate the area, unleash violence upon civilians, torch homes, injure women and children, and withdraw without decisive intervention," the organisation said.
The latest attack came as Naga civil society organisations stepped up protests over the killing of six Liangmai Naga civilians whose bodies were recovered after they were allegedly abducted in May.
Mass sit-in demonstrations were held across several localities in Imphal East, including Koirengei, Luwangsangbam, Mantripukhri, Nilakuthi and Laipham Khunou, with protesters demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible and justice for the victims.
The demonstrators also sought the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, the declaration of the Kuki National Front-President (KNF-P) as a terrorist organisation, the eviction of alleged illegal villages and the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen. Protest leaders said the agitation would continue until their demands were met.
The twin developments have heightened concerns over the expanding dimensions of Manipur's ethnic unrest, with both Naga and Kuki organisations accusing rival armed groups of targeting civilians and demanding stronger intervention by the Centre and security forces to prevent further escalation.
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