Manipur Violence: Nine Dead in Fresh Clashes, Chief Minister Urges Restraint

Tension prevailed in Manipur’s hill districts of Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi on Sunday after the death toll from fresh clashes involving Naga and Kuki communities rose to nine, including a woman, officials said.

The deaths, reported on Friday and Saturday, included six Nagas, two Kukis and a Gorkha farmer. No fresh incidents of violence were reported in the three districts on Sunday, officials said.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh appealed to people to maintain peace and exercise restraint. He also directed the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of residents.

“I condemn the killing of innocent civilians and the violence that occurred today in Kamjong and Kangpokpi districts,” the Chief Minister said in posts on X and Facebook.

He said he had instructed officials to take immediate and effective steps to restore peace and order and protect citizens.

“I appeal to public leaders and civil society organisations of different communities to come forward, exercise restraint, and cooperate in defusing the situation. I urge all sections of society to prioritise peace, dialogue and harmony,” he added.

Security forces, including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel and Manipur Police, have intensified patrolling and search operations across the affected districts to prevent further escalation, officials said.

The latest outbreak began after a 42-year-old woman, Domkhonei Touthang, was shot dead in Chassad village in Kamjong district on Friday night. The district has a predominantly Naga population, while Chassad is a Kuki-majority village.

The woman, a mother of five, sustained a gunshot wound near her neck and died within minutes, a police official said in Imphal.

Her killing triggered exchanges of fire between armed groups from the Kuki and Naga communities, with the clashes continuing on Saturday. A 23-year-old man was also killed, while 10 houses were set ablaze.

Kuki-Zo organisations blamed security forces and a Naga armed group for the woman's killing.

Following the violence, the Kamjong District Magistrate issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The order prohibits the assembly of five or more people, the carrying of firearms and other potentially dangerous objects, and movement within the restricted area.

In a separate incident in Kangpokpi district on Saturday, suspected militants attacked Tapon and Makui villages, killing two Naga village guards, identified as M. Daimai and R. Gangmei, and another person, Ringkangmai, officials said.

The Working Committee JTC Manipur, a Naga civil society organisation, also claimed that a 52-year-old villager, Ajinbou R., had been beheaded by militants. The organisation demanded the return of his severed head so that his family could perform the last rites with dignity.

In another attack in Kamjong district, suspected militants opened fire in Ningchou village, a Tangkhul Naga settlement near the India-Myanmar border. Two people, identified as 35-year-old Ngachanso Ningshen and 48-year-old Leishishan Leishadang, were killed, officials said.

Security forces rushed to the village following the attack. Local residents claimed that the assailants fled towards Myanmar.

Meanwhile, in Ukhrul district, a 40-year-old man identified as Sandeep Rai was shot dead near Chepu Yaolen after suspected militants allegedly opened fire on his vehicle. Rai, who belonged to the Nepali community, died inside the car he was driving, the police official said.

According to local accounts, more than 40 people have been killed and numerous houses burnt in clashes involving Naga and Kuki communities across the affected areas since February this year. The violence has largely been concentrated in Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Tamenglong districts, as well as Noney district and parts of Senapati district.