Daijiworld Media Network - Imphal
Imphal, Sep 26: Four Tangkhul Naga civilians were killed in an armed attack at Pilong village in Manipur’s Kamjong district near the India-Myanmar border, police said.
The attack is suspected to have taken place late on Thursday evening when unidentified armed men allegedly targeted five villagers near India-Myanmar border pillar number 95. Four of them were killed, while one managed to escape and alert the authorities.
Police and local residents launched a search operation following the incident, and the bullet-riddled bodies were recovered from an isolated location in the remote village at around 1.30 am on Friday. The bodies were shifted to Kamjong district hospital for post-mortem examination.
The deceased were identified as Phami Jajo, 43, Ningthem Kashak, 35, Betterson Jajo, 50, and Vareishim Jajo, 67, officials said.
Police suspect the involvement of the Myanmar-based Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) in the attack, although this has not been officially confirmed.
A suo motu case has been registered in connection with the incident under Sections 329(3) (criminal trespass), 137(2) (kidnapping), 103(2) (murder by a group of five or more persons on specific grounds) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Sections 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and 25(1)(C) of the Arms Act, 1959, have also been invoked.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the killings and said such acts of violence had no place in society and would not be tolerated. He also conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
Naga People’s Front MLA Awangbou Newmai also condemned the incident, describing it as a horrific and inhumane act against innocent civilians. He appealed to all communities to shun violence and work towards peaceful coexistence.
Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), a Tangkhul Naga civil body, called a 24-hour total shutdown in Tangkhul Naga-inhabited areas of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts in protest against the killings.
The shutdown affected normal life in parts of the two districts, with government offices, business establishments and educational institutions remaining closed and fewer commuters seen on highways and other roads.
The TNL’s Working Committee alleged that KNA-B and Kuki militants backed by the People’s Defence Force were behind the attack. The organisation also held the government responsible for what it described as cross-border terrorism and the killings at Pilong village.
The incident has heightened security concerns along the India-Myanmar border, with local Naga organisations demanding stronger measures to protect civilians in remote border villages.