Miscreants torched several houses in at least two villages in Manipur’s Kamjong district near the India-Myanmar border, officials said.
The incident is reported to have taken place on Wednesday. Around 10 thatched houses were set ablaze at Phaimol village around 12:30 pm. The village is located about 45 km northeast of Chassad police station near the international border, officials said.
Reportedly, the incident took place when the villagers were not present as they had been taking temporary shelter in a nearby village for over a week.
A community body in the state strongly condemned the arson and claimed the attacks were carried out by outfits operating from across the border in Myanmar. It said that the reflects a serious security failure requiring urgent intervention.
The body urged the Centre, the Manipur government, and security agencies to take immediate action to prevent further incidents.
In a separate incident, suspected to be a retaliatory attack, miscreants torched around eight houses in Kongkan Thana and adjoining areas in the same district near the international border.
Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing said at least 12 houses were set on fire. He added that the Tangkhul villages along the Indo-Myanmar border in Kamjong district are among the most sensitive due to sparse population and poor road connectivity.
The MLA said central security forces are reviewing the situation and attempting to bring the border area under control and urged the state government to strengthen deployment in the region.