Kamjong: In a significant development from Kamjong district, four Tangkhul Kacha-Naga militants belonging to the NSCN Eastern Flank were reportedly shot dead at Pilong village on Wednesday afternoon, around 1:30 pm. The incident occurred at Pilong, located about 35 km from Kamjong district headquarters, a remote area under the predominantly Tangkhul Naga inhabited belt. One other militant, who was present with the group, reportedly survived the attack and managed to escape from the spot.
The four deceased Kacha-Naga militants have been identified as Phami Jajo of Kangpat Khullen, Ningthem Zingsui of Zingsui, Betterson Jajo of Kangpat Khonou, and Vareishim Jajo of Kangpat Khullen. The survivor has been identified as Akhan Kaping of Hunphun village. According to ground sources in Kamjong, all five were active cadres of the NSCN Eastern Flank and were moving in the Pilong area when they were ambushed by armed assailants. The exact identity of the attacking group has not been independently confirmed by security forces till the filing of this report.
Crucially, arms recovery at the site has confirmed the militant identity of the deceased. As per visuals and information from the spot, three AK-47 / AK-type rifles along with magazines and ammunition were recovered from the NSCN Eastern Flank bunker at Pilong. One photo shows a militant in full combat uniform lying dead inside an underground bunker made of wooden logs, while another photo clearly shows the recovered weapons kept on the ground. This recovery proves that they were not innocent civilians but heavily armed cadres operating from a fortified jungle camp. Civilians do not live in bunkers with AK-47s.
The killings have triggered a major political reaction in Ukhrul and Kamjong. The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the apex body of the Tangkhul Naga community headquartered at Ukhrul, has issued an EMERGENCY TOTAL SHUTDOWN notice dated Ukhrul, the 24th September, 2026. The press release, signed by Secretary Thanreingam Muivah on the direction of the President of TNL, states that a 24-hour Emergency Total Shutdown shall be imposed within the jurisdiction of the Tangkhul Naga Long to protest against the brutal killing of four innocent civilians namely, Phami Jajo, Ningthem Kashak of Zingsui, Betterson Jajo and Vareishim Jajo of Kangpat Khullen, by KNA (B) and Kuki Narco-Terrorists around 1:30 pm at Pilong.
In its release, the TNL further announced that the total shutdown will commence at 07:00 am of 25th September, 2026 and end at 07:00 am of 26th September, 2026 and shall be strictly observed by one and all. The release also added that emergency services including power, medical, fire, movement connected with funeral and condolence service and other essential services shall be exempted from the purview of the total shutdown. The letterhead of the release carries the official logo of TANGKHUL NAGA LONG, UKHRUL and the office seal of TNL, which is now widely circulated.
However, contrary to the TNL claim of innocent civilians, independent local sources and village-level information confirm that the deceased are not civilians but active Tangkhul Kacha-Naga militants of the NSCN Eastern Flank. The recovery of AK-47 rifles from the Pilong camp has completely busted the civilian narrative. The attempt to portray armed cadres as innocent civilians is being seen as an attempt to mislead the public and gain sympathy. It is a well-known fact that NSCN Eastern Flank cadres operate in the Kamjong border areas and are often involved in extortion, intimidation of smaller villages and movement of arms along the Indo-Myanmar border.
According to Kuki villagers in Kamjong district, the NSCN Eastern Flank has been directly responsible for a series of recent attacks on Kuki villages in the district. Sources allege that the same group led by cadres operating from Kangpat and surrounding areas has been involved in burning of houses, looting of livestock, and physical assault of Kuki farmers working in their fields in the last few months. In recent weeks, several Kuki villages including Aishi, Chahsat and nearby hamlets have reported incidents where armed Tangkhul militants came in uniform, fired in the air, and threatened villagers to vacate their ancestral land. Many of these incidents have gone unreported due to remoteness and fear of retaliation.
It is further alleged that the NSCN Eastern Flank cadres killed at Pilong were part of the same unit that was involved in the killing and intimidation of Kuki civilians in Kamjong in recent months. Local Kuki village chiefs have claimed that Phami Jajo and his associates were leading the extortion drive and were responsible for the attack on Kuki households that forced many families to flee from Kamjong to safer Kuki-majority areas in Tengnoupal and Churachandpur. At present, only a handful of Kuki villages remain in Kamjong, and villagers say this is a direct result of systematic harassment by Tangkhul Kacha-Naga militants who want to claim total control over the district.
The Pilong area itself is a strategic location and has been a transit point for Naga militant groups for a long time. Security agencies have in the past reported movement of armed Tangkhul groups in this belt. The fact that four armed cadres were found together in a fortified bunker with AK-47s indicates that it was not a civilian gathering but a militant camp. The survivor Akhan Kaping is also said to be a cadre and his statement is crucial to establish the exact sequence of events that led to the shootout and arms recovery.
As of now, no official statement has been issued by the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles or any Kuki armed group including KNA (B) regarding the incident. The group responsible for the shooting has not claimed responsibility. The TNL’s allegation blaming KNA (B) and Kuki Narco-Terrorists remains an allegation without any independent proof or official confirmation. Security forces have rushed to the area and are conducting verification of the recovered arms and the bunker, but due to the remoteness of Pilong and lack of mobile connectivity, official details are awaited.
Meanwhile, the 24-hour emergency total shutdown called by the TNL is expected to paralyse normal life in Ukhrul and Kamjong on September 25. All shops, markets, transport and institutions are expected to remain closed, with only emergency and funeral services exempted. Observers say that instead of calling shutdowns to defend militants by portraying them as civilians, the Tangkhul leadership should introspect and restrain its armed groups from harassing Kuki villages and engaging in militant activities that only lead to more bloodshed in the hills.
