The terror attack by foreign militants on 7 May 2026 at Choro, Wanglee and Namlee near the Indo-Myanmar border has left many civilian homeless and traumatised. Around 300 armed militants suspected to be KNA-B cadres based at Myanmar created havoc at Indo-Myanmar International Border Pillar Numbers 5 -10 (New Pillar No. 89-95) by burning down houses to ashes, looted shops and other properties on Thursday.
MLA of 43- Phungyar Assembly Constituency, Leishiyo Keishing visited the borders and took stock of the situation. MLA Leishiyo Keishing visited the area on Friday and stated that “I came to see what exactly had happened and I found the burnt down houses, looted shops and ransacked properties; mobile phones, cash and jewelleries have been taken away. So, now the big question is what were our security forces doing? This is an Indian territory and some foreign based terrorists are attacking, plundering and doing whatever they want, if such activities continue, we can ask what are our security forces guarding the border doing? The police outpost under Kasom Police Station just a few metres away, there were no police personnel yesterday when the attack happened. So, what we are thinking is who will defend this border, who will guard this border. This is a lingering question in everyone’s mind now.
Villagers informed that the coordinated attack at Choro, Wanglee Market and Namlee started at around 4:00am and lasted till 7:00am. They burnt 20 houses to ashes along with 2 bikes and 3 vehicles and looted the shops and stole 3 vehicles (gypsy) and 7 kenbo bikes.
One villager who does not want her name to be mentioned narrated that “It was early in the morning around 4:00am. I heard sounds of loud gun fires at a close range, followed by a spray of bullets. I stayed at home and did not run to the jungle. They came one after another and entered our house. They pointed guns on my head and showed me a photo of 5 slain KNA-B (which was circulated widely in social media) and asked about the whereabouts of NSCN-IM cadres. There was one translator among the cadres who could speak Meitei lon. I told them, I had no idea. Along with our pastor and his wife, we were taken inside the church. We asked for a time to pray, they tried to snatch the Bible I was holding. They took away the laptop of the pastor and printer of the church. We were detained and interrogated for one hour and finally released. Thereafter, we moved towards Aloyo. I am still traumatised.”
She continued, “the Assam Rifles arrived at around 07:00am. So I asked why they came very late after all the houses were burnt down.” The Assam Rifles camp located at Aloyo is just a few metres away from Choro. She added that the Assam Rifles visited Choro on 4 May 2026. Drones were seen flying on 5 May 2026 and the attack took place on 6 May 2026. On the pretext of checking the border pillar, the Assam Rifles have been frequently visiting the area.
One villager stated that “there are 166 refugees from Myanmar taking temporary shelter at KAKA and around 120 at Wanglee Market. During the crisis and conflict in Myanmar, many have crossed the Indian border for shelter. And as per government direction and instruction we have given a temporary shelter to the refugees from Myanmar. The Government has taken biometrics of all the refugees. The record is available to the concerned authority. Cross-border attack by KNA-B is not acceptable.”
Chuingam Kathing of Namlee informed the reporters that “around 4 O’clock in the morning, we saw movement approaching us from the border. And we had to flee from that place and may be, after 10 seconds, the bullets started raining down on us; targeting especially, the houses belonging to the Tangkhuls. They broke into our properties, ransacked the shops and took away my things including our phones, airpods, power banks and cash. From the neighbours, they took away two mobile phones and their car. They burnt down the houses. They had also broken into the shop selling petrol and diesel, refilled the fuel of the car; packed the stolen properties into the car and the same car was driven off to the Myanmar side.”
All the houses and vehicles burnt and shop looted belong to Tangkhul. The attackers spray bullets to selected shops and houses belonging to Tangkhul. The attackers did not touch or destroy a single vehicle or shops belonging to the refugee. However, they warned the refugee to run. Fearing for their life, they all moved towards Wanglee Village and are taking shelter there.
The situation remains tense, uncertainty hovers in the air. Border villagers are apprehensive because the foreign militants may come back anytime from across the border which is just 4/5 kilometres from their settlement.
