UKHRUL: The attack on Namlee, Wanglee and Choro villages on Thursday by suspected Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) and People’s Defence Force (PDF) militants was an “external aggression” and not an internal communal conflict, MLA Leishiyo Keishing of Phungyar Assembly Constituency stated on Thursday.
“Many houses were burnt and several people injured, most of the injured belonging to the Vaiphei community, indicating that the incident was not a communal clash but an act of external aggression,” MLA Leishiyo Keishing said. The MLA pointed out that no Tangkhul Naga was injured in Thursday’s attack by KNA-B and PDF.
MLA Leishiyo Keishing said villagers alleged that despite coming under what he termed an “external aggression”, there was no timely response from the Assam Rifles outpost located near the affected villages. He further said the villagers expressed dissatisfaction over the role of the Assam Rifles and added that clarification would be sought from the State government, particularly the Home Department.
The legislator alleged that two villagers were abducted during the assault and that there has been no information regarding their whereabouts so far. He urged the security forces to take immediate steps to trace the missing villagers and strengthen security measures in the border villages of Kamjong district along the Indo–Myanmar border.
Related Suspected Kuki National Army-Burma Militants Attack Three Tangkhul Naga Villages in Kamjong
Meanwhile, in another attack by suspected Kuki militants, a villager from Sinakeithei village, identified as Chipemshang Ruivah (34), son of Pemreiyo Ruivah, sustained critical injuries after the village came under a fresh barrage of gunfire on Thursday morning.
Sources said the volunteer was shot in the chest during the attack. He was later evacuated and admitted to the Ukhrul District Hospital for treatment.
Related Tangkhul Naga Villager Missing, Houses Torched and Properties Looted in Attack
Responding to the attack, the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) Working Committee strongly condemned what it described as a coordinated cross-border assault carried out by KNA-B-backed PDF militants on the three Tangkhul Naga villages situated along the Indo–Myanmar border.
The TNL in a press statement alleged that the villages of Choro, Wanglee and Namlee in Kamjong district came under simultaneous attack at around 3:30 am, during which several houses were allegedly torched, civilians fired upon and properties looted.
According to the statement, more than 15 houses were burned down in Choro village, while civilians, including women, sustained injuries during the attack. The TNL further alleged that villagers were rounded up and tortured by the assailants, forcing many residents, including women and children, to flee into nearby jungles for safety.
The TNL also questioned the role of security forces stationed in the area and urged the Centre to take immediate action to safeguard border villages and uphold the sovereignty and security of the Indo–Myanmar border region.