The unprovoked attack was allegedly carried out by a combined force of the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) and the Village Volunteer of Eastern Zone (VVEZ), operating out of the nearby Chassad Kuki village.
The attack appeared to have stemmed from a sharp rift between the Kuki National Front-Presidential group (KNF-P) and the KNA-B over territorial dominance along the international border.