The Sagolmang Area Naga Students’ Association (SANSA) has strongly condemned the armed attack on a passenger bus allegedly carried out by Kuki militants along the Sinakeithei–Imphal route near Molnom village on Monday morning.

The incident reportedly occurred between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., when the militants intercepted the bus, seized passengers’ mobile phones, and checked them for possible recordings of militant camps or activities in the area. Eyewitnesses said the attackers also resorted to blank firing, sparking panic among passengers and heightening fear and insecurity among civilians.

Describing the incident as “barbaric, cowardly, and unlawful,” SANSA president Shankhui Raikhan demanded that the government and security forces take immediate and stringent measures to identify and punish those responsible. The students’ body warned that the safety of innocent commuters cannot be compromised.

Footage of the incident later surfaced on a Facebook page called Zokhan Khaul, with the caption: “Free Movement at your own risk,” raising further concerns over security along the route.

Sinakeithei, a Tangkhul Naga village under Ukhrul Assembly Constituency, lies around 42 kilometers from Imphal. Locals fear that unchecked militant activities could severely threaten free movement between Ukhrul and the state capital.

SANSA cautioned that if such incidents continue without decisive government intervention, it will be compelled to take stronger measures to defend the security and dignity of its people.

The attack has added to growing anxieties over lawlessness and the vulnerability of civilians traveling through conflict-sensitive areas of Manipur.