Naga Rebels Torch Houses In Manipur, Kuki Body Issues Ultimatum To Govt

Several houses and farm structures were set ablaze on Republic Day in K. Songlung (II) village of Kangpokpi district in Manipur, triggering fresh tension in the hill areas of the state.

According to local residents, at least six households, who had recently begun rebuilding their homes after displacement during the ethnic conflict, have now taken shelter in Kotjim village following the attack.

The Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Naga rebel group in Tamenglong and Noney districts and parts of Kangpokpi, claimed responsibility for the incident. In a statement, the group said it had carried out what it described as “enforcement action” against illegal poppy cultivation, narcotics trafficking and unauthorised structures within what it termed the “ancestral, customary and historical territory of the Zeliangrong Inpui Naga people.”

The ZUF said the action was taken at 12.15 pm in the Waphong area of the Songnung Sadar Hills, claiming that despite repeated warnings and sufficient time being given for compliance, farmhouses, farms and “essential materials” linked to alleged illegal poppy cultivation were burnt and dismantled.

The group claims to be fighting to protect the land and rights of the Zeliangrong Naga people.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a Kuki civil society organisation, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Manipur government, demanding action against the perpetrators. In a strongly worded statement, COTU said the attack raised serious questions about the security preparedness of authorities and undermined the constitutional authority of the Governor to maintain peace.

“If no action is taken, we will be forced to take pre-emptive measures, including a total shutdown along AH-2 and NH-37 from the midnight of January 27 to midnight of January 28, without further notice,” the statement said, adding that the organisation would not be responsible for any fallout.

COTU also claimed that this was the fourth attack allegedly carried out by the ZUF in the region. It alleged that Kuki-Zo villages such as Lhangjol, Loibol Kholen, Kharam Vaiphei and K. Songlung (II) had been repeatedly targeted, describing them as “soft targets” for the militant group.

Speaking to Outlook, Lun Kipgen, a COTU leader, said the incident reflected a dangerous escalation and accused the ZUF of acting as a self-styled policing force in the guise of fighting drugs and poppy cultivation. He said that while COTU had exercised restraint despite earlier incidents—including alleged assaults, ambushes and road blockades—the burning of houses had crossed a red line.

Kipgen said the affected village had a mixed population, and claimed that a narrative was being pushed to brand returning Kuki residents as poppy cultivators. He also pointed to prolonged road blockades in areas dominated by Zeliangrong groups, which he said had restricted movement and delayed response, despite repeated representations to the district administration, state government and the Governor.

“The burning of houses and manhandling of innocent people cannot be justified in any manner,” Kipgen said, adding that the responsibility to deal with drug-related offences lay with legitimate institutions like the police, not armed groups. He warned that unless the government intervened urgently, it would become increasingly difficult to restrain volunteers on the ground.

No casualties were reported in the latest incident.