Kangpokpi: A fresh wave of tension has engulfed the Sadar Hills region of Kangpokpi district after Kholen village, a peaceful Kuki settlement, was allegedly attacked by armed cadres late on Monday night.
According to a detailed statement issued by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the incident occurred at around 10:30 PM on September 15, when heavy and continuous gunfire was directed towards Kholen village from the direction of neighbouring Chawangkining village. The sudden and indiscriminate firing triggered panic and fear among the villagers, including women, children and elderly people, who were forced to take cover inside their homes to save their lives.
CoTU has directly alleged that the firing was carried out by armed cadres belonging to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and the Zomi United Front-Kamson (ZUF-Kamson) groups, who are reportedly stationed in the Chawangkining area. The organization stated that the attack was unprovoked and aimed at terrorizing innocent Kuki civilians living in the border area between Kangpokpi and Tamenglong districts.
Due to the intensity and prolonged nature of the firing, local village volunteers of Kholen had no other option but to retaliate in self-defence to protect the village and its inhabitants. CoTU clarified that the retaliation was purely defensive in nature and was undertaken only after the village came under direct attack. The organization emphasized that Kuki villages have never initiated any form of confrontation and have always maintained a defensive posture to safeguard their people, land and properties.
“The Kuki community has always believed in peace and coexistence. We do not attack any community or village. Our village volunteers are forced to act only when our lives and villages are under imminent threat from armed groups. The attack on Kholen is a clear case of aggression against innocent civilians,” CoTU said in its official press communique.
The tribal body further expressed deep concern that the Kholen attack comes at a time when the region is already witnessing heightened tensions following a series of brutal killings and attacks on Kuki civilians in recent weeks. CoTU particularly referred to the recent incidents in Leisangphai and Tollen villages in neighbouring Tamenglong district, where Kuki civilians, including women, were allegedly killed by Naga armed groups. The organization fears that if immediate action is not taken, the Chawangkining area could become a launchpad for further attacks on Kuki villages in Kangpokpi.
In light of the serious security threat, CoTU has demanded that the Central and State governments, as well as the security forces deployed in the area, take immediate and decisive action to secure the entire Chawangkining region. It has called for the immediate withdrawal and relocation of NSCN-IM and ZUF-Kamson cadres from Chawangkining, stating that their continued presence in the area poses a direct and grave threat to the safety and security of Kuki villagers.
The Committee warned that failure to act promptly could lead to further escalation of violence and put the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians at risk. It urged the district administration and security agencies to ensure round-the-clock protection for vulnerable villages like Kholen and to prevent any repeat of such armed aggression.
Meanwhile, the Kangpokpi Area Defence Committee (KADC) has also issued a separate and strongly worded condemnation of the attack on Kholen village. According to KADC, Kholen is a small Kuki village located adjacent to Chawangkining, a Naga village, and has been living peacefully without any history of conflict with its neighbours.
KADC described the attack as a “serious and deliberate threat” to innocent civilians and warned that continued targeting of Kuki civilian settlements by armed groups could have dangerous consequences for peace and stability in the entire region. The committee stated that such cowardly attacks on sleeping villages in the middle of the night clearly show the intent to terrorize and displace Kuki villagers from their ancestral lands.
Reiterating its core principle since its formation in 2023 during the Manipur crisis, KADC stated that its policy has always remained unchanged and non-aggressive. The committee said it has never attacked any community, village or individual, and its sole objective is to protect and defend innocent Kuki people and their properties from armed assailants who are trying to create unrest.
“Despite suffering dozens of violent incidents and losing innocent lives since the beginning of this year, the KADC has exercised maximum restraint and has not retaliated against Naga civilians or villages. We have maintained discipline and have not targeted any Naga settlement, even after repeated provocations,” the KADC said in its press release.
The defence committee further alleged that a systematic pattern of violence against Kuki civilians has been unfolding in the region since early 2026, and held NSCN-IM responsible for many of these incidents. It stated that Kuki villagers living in the peripheral and foothill areas have been living under constant fear and insecurity due to the presence of armed cadres in nearby areas.
KADC asserted that every person living in Kuki areas has the fundamental right to live without fear, to protect their lives, homes and agricultural lands, and to move freely without being threatened by armed groups. The committee affirmed that it will continue to stand firmly for the safety, security and protection of innocent civilians, irrespective of the challenges.
Both organizations have demanded that the authorities immediately launch a thorough investigation into the Kholen attack, identify the individuals and groups responsible for the firing, and take strict legal action against them as per the law of the land. They have also demanded deployment of additional central security forces in the vulnerable areas to prevent further attacks.
Furthermore, CoTU and KADC have jointly appealed to all responsible civil society organizations, church leaders, and community elders from all communities to exercise restraint, to condemn violence against civilians, and to ensure that the latest incident does not trigger a cycle of further violence, retaliation and loss of innocent lives.
As of Tuesday evening, the situation in Kholen and surrounding villages remains tense but under control, with villagers staying alert and security forces reportedly increasing patrolling in the area to prevent any further untoward incidents.
