IMPHAL, October 21 (Aalimi Nation) – Suspected militants set fire to several houses in the deserted village of Khoikai in Manipur's Kamjong district early on Wednesday, police said, hours before the state's Director General of Police arrived in the district to review security.
The incident took place around 5.30 am in Khoikai, a village of the Kuki community that lies near Chassad and falls under Chassad police station limits. Police said the extent of the damage and the identity of those responsible were yet to be established, and officers were still working out how many houses were burnt.
Manipur Director General of Police Mukesh Singh visited Kamjong district with the Additional Director General (Law and Order) and the Deputy Inspector General of the Border Security Force's Manipur sector headquarters, according to an official statement.
The officers met local police personnel and discussed the law and order situation. They also held a joint coordination meeting with representatives of the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force to improve coordination among the forces.
The DGP and his team met representatives of Kuki and Naga civil society organisations, who raised concerns about the situation in the district. Police leadership assured them of all possible support to restore peace and normalcy, the statement said.
Security forces have stepped up patrolling and area domination in the district as a preventive measure, officials said.
The district has seen a run of attacks in recent days. In Chassad, a Kuki hill village, suspected militants opened fire in a daytime attack that killed one civilian and left four others with bullet injuries, according to local accounts. Last week, suspected militants burnt at least 15 houses in the village, and many residents fled into nearby forests and an Army camp.
A Naga organisation, the Tangkhul Naga Long working committee, has separately alleged arson by suspected Kuki militants in the villages of Patleijang and Khoikai. These allegations come from one side and have not been independently verified.
Residents had already left Khoikai after tensions between the Kuki and Naga communities escalated, leaving the village empty. Reports of the clashes say more than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses burnt since the start of the year. Affected districts include Tamenglong, Noney, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul and Kamjong. Those figures have not been confirmed in a single official tally.
The violence has added to pressure on the state's security apparatus, which has been dealing with ethnic strife in Manipur for more than three years. Civil society groups from both communities have repeatedly asked the authorities for stronger protection of vulnerable villages and for the safe return of displaced residents.
Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the Khoikai arson. The final count of damaged houses, and whether the attackers can be identified, will indicate whether the incident is linked to the Chassad attacks. Officials have said patrolling will remain heavy in the area, and further meetings with community representatives are expected as the administration tries to prevent a fresh cycle of reprisals.
