‘Militants’ torch houses in Manipur’s Kangpokpi

Imphal: Suspected militants on Monday afternoon torched several houses and farmhouses in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, triggering tension in the hill areas of the state, officials said.

According to police, the incident took place at K Songlung village in the Kuki-dominated district.

The extent of the damage was yet to be ascertained as security forces, including Assam Rifles, have rushed to the spot, officials said, adding that further details were awaited.

Meanwhile, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) has claimed responsibility for the act and alleged that the houses and farmhouses were being used by illicit poppy cultivators.

In a statement, the outfit said it had “intensified its decisive campaign against illegal poppy cultivation, narcotics trafficking and encroachment by illegal immigrants within the ancestral, customary and historical territory of the Zeliangrong Inpui Naga people.”

The armed outfit said it had previously given “repeated public alerts and sufficient time for peaceful compliance” and enforcement action was carried out at 12.15 pm during which farmhouses, farms and other essential materials used for illegal poppy cultivation were burnt.