Second strike in three days revives security bias claims as death toll in Tamenglong hits 13 since February
By Staff Reporter — Kukiland Express Desk
Songpi, June 13, 2026: Armed cadres identified by residents as NSCN-IM and ZUF(K) carried out a coordinated attack on the Kuki-inhabited Lasan-Langka area around 8:40 AM Friday, local sources said. The morning assault is the second violent incident in the village in three days and has deepened fear across western Tamenglong, where community tensions remain high.
The raid comes after the June 10 killing of Pu Haogin of Lasan Village, which locals also attribute to the same groups. Witnesses said Friday’s gunfire forced families to flee toward nearby forests while others took shelter as bullets hit homes and fields. No official casualties were confirmed by evening, though village volunteers reported property damage and panic. Lasan lies close to Tamei headquarters, an area where the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM maintains a significant presence, a fact that has long unsettled Kuki residents.
Kuki civil society organisations say the attack highlights uneven security measures. They noted that the Deputy Chief Minister had weeks earlier reviewed the situation and ordered additional forces for vulnerable Naga villages in the district. Despite repeated memoranda, they allege, similar deployment was not extended to Kuki settlements in the area. “We gave warnings and shared locations. Our appeals were not acted upon,” a community representative said. The groups argue the gap has left their villages exposed to repeated strikes.
Local organisations tracking the conflict claim 13 Kuki civilians have been killed in targeted attacks across Tamenglong since February this year. They cite a pattern of raids, arson, crop destruction, and displacement that has strained trust in the administration’s response. With monsoon nearing, families displaced from Lasan-Langka have moved into church halls and schools. Volunteers say food and medicines are running low as movement through the area remains unsafe.
Security officials in the district confirmed receiving reports of firing and said patrols were sent to the Lasan-Langka stretch. Villagers, however, maintain that attackers retreat into surrounding terrain before forces arrive, limiting the impact of reactive operations. Community leaders are demanding permanent security posts, armed escorts for farmers, and neutral buffer zones to prevent further violence and break the cycle of attacks.
By nightfall, Lasan remained tense. Youth volunteers stood watch while displaced families waited in crowded shelters. For residents, the latest raid reinforces a single demand: protection must be equal, immediate, and on the ground. Without it, they fear the list of 13 dead will grow before the year ends
