GUWAHATI: Amid continuing violence in Manipur, four Nagas were killed by alleged Myanmar-based Kuki insurgents in a cross-border attack. The attack was perpetrated at Pilong, a Tangkhul Naga village near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Kamjong district, on Thursday afternoon.
The Working Committee of Tangkhul Naga Long (WC-TNL) condemned the incident and held the government solely responsible for cross-border terrorism and killings.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Naga organisation alleged that members of the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) and Kuki elements backed by the Myanmar-based armed group People’s Defence Force (PDF) carried out the attack.
“A Kuki terror group armed heavily with sophisticated weapons crossed the Namya River from Phailen Kuki village of Myanmar and launched a violent attack on Pilong civilians,” the WC-TNL alleged.
It said that while two residents were shot dead in the vicinity of the village, the two others were forcibly taken away to adjoining Phailen and killed by the Kuki rebels.
The WC-TNL identified the deceased as Betterson Jajo, a native of Kangpat Khunou; Vareishim Jajo and Phami Jajo—a father-son duo hailing from Kangpat Khullen; and Ningthem Kashak, an original resident of Zingsui village.
“There were five civil residents keeping watch at Pilong settlement area when the violent incident took place. Of the five, one managed to escape from the village and was rescued by a team of Tangkhul civil society organisations at around 9.45 pm,” the organisation said.
The survivor was identified as Akhan Kaping, a native of Hunphun village in Ukhrul district. The WC-TNL said this was the third such attack on Naga villagers along the India-Myanmar border in Kamjong district.
It lamented that despite the repeated attacks, the state government as well as the border guards, including the Assam Rifles, remained “lackadaisical” and failed to protect the vulnerable villagers living along the border.