Journalism of Courage
2 Nagas killed in suspected Kuki militant attack on Manipur village
The attack took place around 7:30 am as villagers were heading to their paddy fields. According to local sources, militants wielding sophisticated weapons opened indiscriminate fire on the villagers.
Following the incident, the LNC declared an Emergency Total Shutdown across all Liangmai Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur with immediate effect. All shops and institutions have been asked to remain closed, with medical, fire and other essential services exempted.
Two Naga villagers were killed and two others injured after suspected Kuki militants launched an attack on Langka village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur on Friday morning. The Liangmai Naga Council (LNC) alleged that the attack could have been prevented had authorities heeded repeated security warnings from the community.
Langka (Niulong) is a Liangmai Naga village situated along the Imphal–Tamenglong Road, approximately 65 km from Imphal.
The attack took place around 7:30 am as villagers were heading to their paddy fields. According to local sources, militants wielding sophisticated weapons opened indiscriminate fire on the villagers.
Wiriliangbou Chawang, 35, was shot dead on the spot, while Kawidinang Abonmai, 54, succumbed to an abdominal injury on the way to hospital. The two injured were identified as Namthiulungbou Prinmai, 45, who sustained a groin injury, and Maliangjinang Abonmai, 50, who suffered chest and arm injuries.
LNC president Timothy Wijunamai said miscreants had attempted to attack the village a month earlier but failed. Following that attempt, villagers had on several occasions urged the authorities to deploy CRPF personnel in the area, but received no response. “The attack could have been prevented had the authorities taken the security concerns of the villagers seriously,” he said. While the LNC alleged that KNF-P Kuki militants were responsible for the attack, the claim could not be independently verified.
Following the incident, the LNC declared an Emergency Total Shutdown across all Liangmai Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur with immediate effect. All shops and institutions have been asked to remain closed, with medical, fire and other essential services exempted.
The council urged the community to remain calm and observe the shutdown peacefully, and called on authorities to take immediate measures to ensure public safety and bring those responsible to justice. The attack has heightened security concerns along the Kangpokpi-Tamenglong border belt, where Langka and neighbouring Naga areas have witnessed armed clashes in the past.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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