Kuki CSO Working Committee Ukhrul says May 21 assault followed drone sightings on two prior days; alleges use of heavy weapons and spread of AI-generated misinformation.
Edited By Lulun Haokip Kukiland Express Desk
Songpi: May 22, 2026
Mongkot Chepu village came under heavy fire on the afternoon of May 21, days after residents reported unauthorized drones over farming, forest, and residential areas, according to the Kuki CSO Working Committee Ukhrul. The committee said the firing began around 2 p.m. and described the incident as an “unprovoked and strategic attack,” prompting village volunteers to retaliate in what became an exchange of fire that lasted until about 5:30 p.m.
In its statement, the committee alleged the attackers were associated with NSCN (EF) and used “high-grade weapons, including heavy ammunition and lethal bombs.” It argued the nature of the weaponry indicated a level of preparation that was “inconsistent with any spontaneous confrontation.” The committee added that villagers had alerted authorities about drone sightings over Mongkot Chepu on May 19 and 20, and claimed the origin of those drones was traced to Sikibung @ Sharkaphung village.
The committee raised concerns over “surveillance, intent, and operational coordination” it said preceded the May 21 firing. It also condemned the circulation of what it described as an AI-generated image that falsely showed Sikibung @ Sharkaphung village under heavy attack by Kuki militants with sophisticated weapons. According to the committee, the images spread widely on social media immediately after the incident, accompanied by appeals to the Government of India, security forces, and Naga civil society organizations.
“Such attempts to distort facts and portray the aggressor as the victim have unfortunately become an observable pattern among certain sections in Ukhrul and Kamjong and are deeply irresponsible and dangerously misleading in an already volatile situation,” the committee stated. It said the spread of fabricated visuals and allegations without evidence risked further inflaming tensions in the region.
The committee warned that it would pursue legal action, including defamation proceedings, if Sikibung @ Sharkaphung village or any associated individuals or groups continued to disseminate what it called false propaganda branding Kuki villagers as militants. Citing the fable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” the statement said those who “repeatedly manufacture fear and falsehood for strategic gain eventually lose credibility, even when genuine danger arrives,” adding that “weaponising misinformation is not merely hypocrisy — it is dangerous.”
