Kuki militant group leader's house set ablaze in Manipur, no casualties reported

In a disturbing incident, the house belonging to a senior leader of a Kuki militant group was burned down by unidentified miscreants in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Monday night.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the attack, which took place in the Songpi area, approximately 5 kilometers away from Churachandpur town. The incident also resulted in the complete destruction of a car parked outside the house.

The targeted house belonged to Seilen Haokip, spokesperson of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO). The attack occurred shortly after the KNO and the United Peoples Front (UPF) lifted their two-month-long blockade of National Highway-2 following an appeal made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), condemned the incident and highlighted the isolated location of Haokip's house, emphasizing the need to prevent the situation from escalating further.

It is important to note that Kuki militant groups entered into a suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Indian government and the Manipur state government in August 2008. This agreement involved 25 Kuki militant groups, with 17 operating under the KNO umbrella group and another 8 under the UPF. As per the agreement, these groups' members were confined to designated camps, and their weapons were securely stored.

The state government has previously expressed concerns that militants associated with the SoO groups may be involved in inciting violence during the ongoing ethnic clashes. An inspection conducted by the military in June revealed that almost all the designated camps for Kuki groups under the SoO agreement still had their weapons intact.

On the other hand, Kuki groups have accused two radical Meitei groups, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, of specifically targeting Kukis.