UKHRUL, JUNE 25: In what could mark a significant turn in the case of the killing of six Naga civilians, Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet on Thursday publicly expressed regret over the incident, saying the Kuki-Zo had committed a “great mistake”.
Speaking to the media in a video that has since gone viral, Thanglet joined by Ginza Vualzong spokesperson of the KZC said: “Yes, I agreed that the Kuki-Zo has made a great mistake in killing of six ‘Kacha Nagas,’ civilian which is made out of emotion. I really regret it.”
The statement is the first known public expression of regret by any Kuki CSOs over the killing of the six Naga civilians, whose deaths triggered widespread outrage across Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur and Nagaland.
The KZC chairman Thanglet’s remarks come more than six weeks after the killings and are expected to draw widespread attention across Manipur, where the incident remains one of the most sensitive episodes in the continuing ethnic conflict.
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The six Naga victims went were allegedly abducted at Leilon Vaiphei Kuki village on May 13. Their highly decomposed and dismembered bodies were recovered near Kharam Vaiphei village on June 11.
The killings sparked protests, candlelight vigils and sit-in demonstrations across several Naga districts, while civil society organisations, churches and student bodies condemned the incident and demanded justice.
The United Naga Council (UNC) and several Naga organisations also called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed groups, alleging that the arrangement had failed to prevent such incidents.
An online petition seeking an independent probe into the killings garnered more than 50,000 signatures.
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It may be mentioned that the Naga people’s Organisation (NPO) have called for accountability and transparency from the CoBRA Unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other security agencies involved in the military operation conducted in the Leilon Vaiphei area on 21 June 2026 against the KNF-P insurgent group. NPO said that despite the scale and intensity of the operation, no arrests have been reported, nor has any significant outcome been publicly disclosed. The eventual withdrawal of the security forces without any visible results has raised serious concerns among the Naga people and prompted questions regarding the effectiveness and intent of the operation.
The Naga Women’s Union (NWU) on Wednesday stated that it is particularly disturbed that the CoBRA Unit, CRPF, and others continue to facilitate and escort the movement of different sections of the Kuki community through Naga-inhabited areas when the families of the six victims continue to mourn without answers or justice. “For many Nagas, especially the bereaved families and affected communities, these actions are deeply painful and difficult to comprehend,” it remarked.
