A paramilitary soldier was hurt in a fire in Manipur, and other homes caught fire.

In Manipur’s Senapati and surrounding Kangpokpi district, a paramilitary soldier was hurt during gunfire today. Additionally, a number of homes were damaged or torched. Firefighters arrived at the scene at 3.30 am after the initial fire incident was reported from Taphou Kuki at 2.40 am. Although this could not be independently verified, ground sources suggested that police were present close to the Senapati district gate. Local reports state that some attendees opposed to the firemen’ entrance.

After four in the morning, several events were recorded in the vicinity of 9MR and Mareimei, when homes owned by Naga tribe members were allegedly targeted. According to preliminary reports, a home in Taphou Kuki was set on fire, and a home in Lai village, a Poumai Naga hamlet, was allegedly destroyed. A resident of Phuba village, a Poumai Naga hamlet, reportedly had another home set on fire.

Around 9.20 am, as journalists were documenting the tragedy and taking footage of the damaged and torched houses, gunfire broke out in the vicinity, escalating the situation. In the meantime, travel along the main route between Manipur and Nagaland was disrupted as members of the Naga tribes blocked NH-2, the Imphal-Dimapur highway. In a statement released today, the Taphou Kuki Village Authority denounced the burning and destruction of a Taphou Kuki villager’s home, calling it “deplorable, inhuman and unacceptable.”

The village authorities requested that the police and district administration look into the incident, find the perpetrators, and take legal action. Additionally, it urged everyone involved to abstain from violence, fire, and property destruction. Those responsible for setting the house on fire were given a 24-hour window by the authorities to accept responsibility and settle the dispute in accordance with Kuki traditional law.

Due to the ongoing tension, security personnel have been stationed in Taphou and the surrounding districts of Senapati and Kangpokpi. The complete degree of property damage, the circumstances surrounding the firing, and any additional victims are being investigated.