'Terrorists came from across border'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 19 2026: A team of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) went to the border villages of Namlee, Wanglee and Z Choro in Kamjong district on May 18 and distributed relief materials like rice, dal, potato, salt etc .

The three border villagers came under heavy attack from KNA-B and PDF militants based in neighbouring Myanmar in the early hours of May 7, 2026 .

The foreign militants also burnt down a large number of houses.

A joint team of COCOMI and Foothills Naga Coordinating Committee (FNCC) left for Kamjong on Monday.

At Kamjong district headquarters, the joint team sat together with local civil organisations and talked about the myriad issues being faced by indigenous people in the State.

'Terrorists came from across border'

From Kamjong district headquarters, the joint team went to Z Choro, Namlee and Wanglee and interacted with the villagers terrorised by Kuki militants based in Myanmar.

The visiting team then handed over relief materials including rice, dal, potato etc to the villagers.

Speaking to the media, Z Choro village headman in-charge Konag Anshari said that the militants came from across the border pillar.

Unsuspecting as they were, the villagers were sleeping when they were awakened all of a sudden by the sound of gunshots, he said.

As the defenceless border villages came under heavy attack from Kuki militants who numbered around 70, the villagers fled to the hills and hid.

From afar, the villagers could see their houses being set ablaze by the Kuki militants.

"This scene deeply hurt all of us.

Our misery and helplessness was only compounded by the inaction of the AR troops stationed nearby", he said.

The village headman in-charge said that AR troops arrived only after the houses had been completely burnt, and they (AR troops) busied themselves taking photos/videos of the scene of devastation.

As they have lost all faith in the Assam Rifles, the villagers appealed to the Home Minister to station State forces in the border areas.

The Home Minister replied that 7000 IRB personnel will be recruited but how the villagers will wait for completion of the long recruitment process and training schedule of the new recruits, Konag Anshari said.

As the villagers insisted on deployment of State forces from amongst the existing personnel, the Home Minister said that the Government will make an alternative arrangement.

But till today, the State Government has not taken up any step regarding the Home Minister's assurance for alternative arrangement.

The village headman in-charge said that the villagers are currently living without security cover or sense of security.

The villagers are dependent on agriculture/terraced cultivation for their livelihood.

It is now time for agricultural activities and they must go to fields without any sense of security, he said.

He also expressed strong resentment and indignation against the Government's failure to provide any kind of compensation or assistance to the villagers.

He asked the Government whether man can like birds without homes.

Namlee village headman Kathing Laison said that KNA-B and PDF militants first surrounded Namlee, Wanglee and Z Choro before attacking the villages.

Apart from burning dozens of houses, the Kuki militants also looted a large number of valuables and household articles.

The villagers would have been extremely grateful had the AR troops stationed nearby tried to protect the villages.

Kathing Laison urged the State Government to safeguard the State's boundary with commitment and due alertness.

FNCC convenor Ng Athew urged the Government to take up necessary security measures and address the grievances and security concerns of the border villagers without any further delay.

COCOMI spokesman Nahakpam Shanta said that COCOMI is an organisation which is based on the principles of integrity and peaceful coexistence.

Questioning the contradictory statements made by the Home Minister of Manipur and a ruling MLA regarding the May 7 attack at the border villages, Shanta asked how the Home Minister could say that the attack was not external aggression.

The Home Minister after visiting the border villages should have a fair idea of who and how the attack was carried out, he said.

Pointing out that an Assam Rifles camp is located very close to the border villages, the COCOMI spokesman asked what the AR troops were doing when the villages were attacked.

Everyone knows that the attack was not carried out by any handful of militants but by a large number of militants but the Government has been trying to confuse the people without making any clear statement on the attack, he said.

Instead of investigating the attack, the Government only gave some relief materials like rice and potato, and an assurance for 'alternative arrangement' .

Such irresponsible attitude of the Government left the villagers as well as all sections of people extremely resentful and furious, he said.

The State Government should have the capability and courage to stop any aggression in any part of Manipur, whether it is external or internal.

It is unlikely that the State Government has any idea whether the AR troops deployed along the international border are discharging their duties properly or not, Shanta said.