KANGPOKPI: Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body representing Kuki tribes in Manipur, has strongly condemned the deadly attack on Loibol Khullen village in Kangpokpi district that claimed the lives of three civilians and left several homes destroyed.
In a statement issued on June 5, the organisation described the incident as a brutal assault on unarmed villagers and called for an immediate investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible. The statement comes a day after reports emerged of a pre-dawn attack on the village, where three residents were killed and multiple houses were set on fire, forcing families to flee the area.
KIM alleged that the attack was carried out by armed cadres of NSCN-IM and its alleged proxy group ZUF(K). However, no independent confirmation of the allegation was available at the time of publication, and there was no immediate response from the groups named in the statement.
According to KIM, those killed in the incident were Lekhongam Haokip, his wife Tirmary Haokip, and Jangminlal Haokip. The organisation also claimed that seven houses were reduced to ashes during the violence, causing extensive damage to civilian property.
“Kuki Inpi Manipur unequivocally denounces this barbaric act of violence against unarmed civilians,” the statement read.
It further described the killings and destruction of homes as serious violations of human dignity and fundamental human rights.
“The deliberate targeting of civilians and the destruction of homes can never be justified under any circumstances,” the organisation stated. Expressing sympathy to the bereaved families, KIM said the tragedy had deeply affected the wider Kuki-Zo community.
“The loss of innocent lives and the devastation suffered by the villagers have caused immeasurable grief,” it said. The organisation urged the Government of India and security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the incident, apprehend those responsible and ensure that justice is delivered without delay.
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KIM also called for stronger security measures to protect vulnerable villages from future attacks.
“The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be held fully accountable, and every effort must be made to uphold the rule of law and protect the lives and properties of innocent people,” the statement added.
The incident is likely to further raise concerns over security and ethnic tensions in parts of Manipur, where sporadic violence has continued despite repeated calls for peace and reconciliation.
