Sadar Hills: Peace was shattered at N. Teikhang Kuki village under Twilang Block in Kangpokpi District on Sunday morning when heavily armed cadres belonging to Liangmei Naga armed groups led by the NSCN-IM along with ZUF-K unleashed indiscriminate terror upon innocent and defenceless civilians, leaving three persons dead including two women and four others grievously injured.
According to the official press statement issued by the Kuki Students’ Organisation, Twilang Block, bearing Ref. No. KSO-TB/PR/5/2026 dated 31/08/2026, the attack was not a clash but a one-sided, premeditated targeting of unarmed villagers, including women, in complete violation of basic human decency and international humanitarian principles.
The victims who lost their lives in this horrific attack have been identified as Mrs. Tingneichin, wife of Tongpao, Mr. Lamtinthang, son of Seilun, and Mrs. Hoineng, wife of Thanggoulen. All three were residents of N. Teikhang and were killed inside the village when militants opened fire without provocation. Sources said the women were shot at close range inside their homes.
Four other villagers sustained severe bullet injuries and burn injuries during the mayhem. They are Mrs. Nemneichong, who is stated to be in critical condition and fighting for her life, Mr. Seilun, Mrs. Deilhing, and Mr. Kamtinsei. All injured have been evacuated for emergency medical treatment. In addition to the killings, the armed militants completely set ablaze two residential houses, reducing all belongings, food grains, and properties to ashes and leaving the families devastated and homeless in the open.
The KSO Twilang Block, in its strongly worded condemnation, expressed profound outrage, shock, and total condemnation over the horrific and cowardly acts of violence. The student body said the attack exposes a profound and systemic failure of the security forces and the government, both at the state and the centre.
The organisation raised grave and urgent questions as to why anti-national elements such as NSCN-IM and ZUF-K are allowed to operate with complete impunity in areas inhabited by Kuki civilians, despite being bound by formal Ceasefire Agreements and Ground Rules with the Government of India.
“We fiercely question the authorities on how insurgent groups, despite being bound by ceasefires and ground-rule agreements, are permitted to freely roam, carry sophisticated weapons, and slaughter unarmed civilians without facing immediate military containment or law enforcement action,” the statement read.
The KSO questioned how long the government will continue to harbour and turn a blind eye to these anti-national forces while non-combatants, especially women and elderly, pay with their lives. The organisation asserted that the state and central security apparatus must answer for this blatant lapse in civilian protection along the sensitive Imphal-Tamenglong road corridor where N. Teikhang is located.
Residents of the area said that N. Teikhang is a small, peaceful Kuki agricultural village with no history of armed confrontation, making the targeted attack even more shocking. Women and children who fled during the firing are still taking shelter in nearby forests and neighbouring villages, too terrified to return.
This incident has once again brought to the forefront the long-standing demand of the Kuki people for security and justice. The KSO Twilang Block noted that while Kuki villages remain vulnerable and unprotected, groups under ceasefire are misusing the peace process to expand their area of dominance through terror.
In light of this humanitarian crisis, the KSO Twilang Block has placed a set of urgent demands before the Government of India and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
First, it demanded immediate and decisive measures to hold the perpetrators accountable. The authorities must immediately deploy adequate central security forces to encircle and secure N. Teikhang and all adjoining Kuki villages in Twilang to prevent further attacks and ensure safe return of the displaced.
Second, it demanded a swift and time-bound military operation to arrest and prosecute all armed cadres of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K involved in this massacre. The student body also demanded revocation of any ceasefire protections being abused by these anti-national groups, stating that a ceasefire cannot be a shield for terrorism.
Third, it demanded immediate humanitarian intervention. The state government must provide emergency medical care for the critically injured, particularly Mrs. Nemneichong, and ensure comprehensive financial relief, ex-gratia compensation, and full reconstruction aid for the families of the deceased and those whose homes were destroyed.
The organisation further appealed to the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Women, and all human rights bodies to take suo-moto cognizance of the targeted killing of women and the burning of civilian homes, which constitutes a grave violation of the right to life.
The KSO Twilang Block extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of N. Teikhang during this hour of grief and outrage. It warned that if justice is denied and security not ensured, the Kuki people will be compelled to launch democratic forms of agitation to protect their lives and land.
