Guwahati: Four cadres of the Myanmar-based Eastern Flank, an estranged formation of the Naga Army under NSCN (IM), were gunned down in a suspected case of fratricide in Manipur’s border district of Kamjong on Saturday night.According to reports, a team of six Eastern Flank cadres was travelling in a vehicle, along the Imphal–Kasom Khullen road, when they came under fire at around 9 pm near Hongbei village. While four cadres were killed on the spot, two managed to escape.The deceased have been identified as Sochipem Phungshok, Zairay Vasah, Bahnle Ahlahpya, and Thansomi Washi.Police sources said the motive was yet to be ascertained. However, the Eastern Flank — whose two top leaders, HS Ramsan (Hanshi) and A Raman, were terminated by the NSCN (IM) leadership in 2024 —questioned the organisation’s chain of command in its condolence message.In a statement, Raman said, “An order to fire upon our own cadres must come from the highest authority — either the collective leadership (headed by Th Muivah) or the Longvibu (Naga Army chief),” indicating the possibility of fratricide.The statement added that the cadres were on duty to monitor timber and other business activities, along the Indo-Myanmar border, when the attack took place.As news of the incident spread, an angry mob set fire to the Wung Tangkhul Region (WTR) building in Manipu’s Ukhrul. The WTR is the territorial administrative unit of NSCN (IM) and functions as the local governing office across Tangkhul Naga areas.Later in the day, the NSCN (IM) general headquarters (GHQ) in Nagaland’s Hebron expressed grief and shock over the killings, clarifying that “no such order was given to strike or go on the offensive against any groups or factions at this critical juncture.”The organisation said an investigation was underway to establish the sequence of events and vowed that the culprits will be penalised under the Naga Army Rules and Regulations (NARR).The GHQ also urged the public to “maintain prudence and not be carried away by social media inputs.”The incident has sent shockwaves through the border district, which has long been vulnerable to factional clashes among Naga insurgent groups, operating across the India-Myanmar border.Investigators are probing whether the killings were linked to internal rivalry, resource disputes, or attempts to assert territorial dominance.The incident comes at a time when peace talks with Naga groups, including NSCN (IM), remain stalled, raising concerns about renewed instability in the region. Security forces have intensified patrolling in the area to prevent further flare-ups.
