Militants burn down two houses in Manipur village, exchange fire with security forces

Suspected militants attacked a hill village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district and burnt down at least two houses while engaging in an exchange of fire with security forces, officials said on Wednesday (September 16, 2026).

An official said a large number of militants armed with sophisticated weapons attacked Chawangkining Naga village around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday (September 15), hours after two Kuki women were gunned down at Leisangphai in Tamenglong district.

CRPF personnel deployed in the nearby area retaliated, he said.

“Intermittent firing was reported for nearly six hours till 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday (September 16). The CRPF returned fire, preventing the militants from entering the village,” the official said, adding that two wooden houses at the periphery of the village were, however, burnt down.

A villager, Daniel Charenamai, said, “Our village was attacked around 10.30 p.m. and firing continued till 4 a.m. CRPF deployed in our village returned fire and prevented it from being overrun.

Senior Naga leader and Naga Peoples’ Front legislator Awangbou Newmai on Wednesday (September 16) condemned the killing of two women and burning down of houses at Chawangkining.

In a statement, Mr. Newmai said, “These kinds of barbaric and senseless acts will never bring any good things to any community.”

Kuki MLA from Saikul constituency in Kangpokpi district also condemned the killing of the two women and said one of the victims graduated in nursing recently.

Alleging the involvement of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K cadres in the killing, she said, “The killing of the innocent women is an act of sheer brutality that cannot be justified by any political cause, ideology or grievance.”