Violence in Manipur escalated when an armed group set fire to a Kuki village in Noney district around 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The Kuki Inpi, representing Jiribam, Tamenglong, and Noney districts, claimed that suspected members of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) launched an unprovoked assault on Leikot Kuki village, destroying it completely. NSCN refers to the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, a longstanding militant organization in the northeast. Village defenders, equipped with licensed single-barrel guns and few supplies, attempted to resist but were overpowered by attackers using automatic weapons and mortar shells, according to the Kuki Inpi. The event occurred over 200 km west of the India-Myanmar border. Earlier incidents involved Naga groups burning Phaimol Kuki village and Kuki militants destroying Huimin Thana and Kherongram villages in Kamjong district. This attack suggests the Kuki-Naga conflict, which started in Ukhrul district, has now reached Noney, after spreading to Kamjong and Kangpokpi. The Kuki Inpi condemned the incident, criticized poor security in Noney district, and called for government action and a fair probe to hold perpetrators accountable. NSCN has not commented, while some Naga groups suggested the Kukis might have fabricated the event.
