Manipur Violence: Death Toll Rises to 9 in Naga-Kuki Clashes, Chief Minister Appeals for Peace

Tension prevailed across three hill districts of Manipur — Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi — on Sunday after the death toll in fresh clashes involving Naga and Kuki communities rose to nine, including a woman, officials said. No fresh incidents of violence were reported during the day.

The deaths, reported on Friday and Saturday, included six Nagas, two Kukis and a Gorkha farmer, making the latest outbreak one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the state this year.

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.

“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 control the situation, restore peace and order, and ensure the safety and security of all 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,” Khemchand Singh said.

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

The latest violence erupted on Friday night after a 42-year-old woman was killed in Chassad village in Kamjong district. Although Kamjong has a predominantly Naga population, Chassad is a Kuki-majority village.

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

Her killing triggered an exchange of fire between armed groups belonging to 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 death.

Following the violence, the Kamjong District Magistrate issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The order prohibited 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, along with another person, Ringkangmai, officials said.

The Working Committee JTC Manipur, a Naga civil society organisation, also claimed that a 52-year-old villager, identified as 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. The attack killed two people, identified as 35-year-old Ngachanso Ningshen and 48-year-old Leishishan Leishadang, officials said.

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

In Ukhrul district, a 40-year-old man from the Nepali community, identified as Sandeep Rai, was shot dead near Chepu Yaolen after suspected militants allegedly opened fire on his vehicle.

Rai died inside the car he was driving, a 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, Noney district and parts of Senapati district.