Three Killed in Fresh Manipur Clashes; Tribal Body Calls 24-Hour Shutdown

Reports that Kamjong police station had been torched circulated on social media, but police dismissed the claims and videos being shared online.

According to a police official, a 23-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were killed in Chassad village in Kamjong district. The area has a Kuki-majority population, although the district is predominantly inhabited by the Naga community.

The woman, identified as Domkhonei Touthang and a mother of five, sustained a gunshot wound near her neck on Friday night and died shortly afterwards, the official said.

Her death was followed by an exchange of fire between armed Kuki and Naga groups that continued into Saturday morning. A man identified as Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was killed in the subsequent clashes. Around 10 houses were also reportedly burnt.

In a separate incident 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, according to the police official.

Further exchanges of fire between armed groups were reported at Makui Ashang and Tapon along the IT Road in Kangpokpi district. Houses belonging to Tangkhul Naga villagers were also reportedly set ablaze by unidentified persons during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. Injuries on both sides were reported, although official confirmation was awaited.

Following the violence in Chassad, the Kamjong district administration imposed prohibitory restrictions within a 400-metre radius of Chassad Police Gate Junction to prevent further escalation and maintain law and order.

The District Magistrate issued the order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting gatherings of five or more people, the carrying of firearms and other potentially dangerous objects, and movement within the restricted area. Security personnel, magistrates on duty and those engaged in essential services were exempted.

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, in a post on X, claimed that seven people had been killed in violent incidents across different parts of the state in a single day. He also alleged that suspected militants based in Myanmar had attacked Ningchou village in Kamjong district and said violence had been reported along Makui IT Road and in Chassad.

Singh further claimed that two people from Makui Ashang village in Kangpokpi district had gone missing. Referring to Rai’s killing, he alleged that cadres of the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) had ambushed the man near Yolen, close to TM Kasom Litan in Ukhrul district.

Questioning the security situation, Singh called for the recovery of illegally held weapons, decisive action against armed militant groups and stronger security along the India-Myanmar border. He urged state and central security forces to act without delay.

Kuki organisations, meanwhile, presented a different account of the violence in Chassad. According to them, the incident began when a group of women protested against the alleged arrest and detention of village volunteers.

The Kuki Human Rights Forum (KHRF) claimed that Touthang was shot while participating in the protest and died on Friday night. The KHRF, the Kuki Students’ Organisation and the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, condemned her killing and demanded stringent action against the security personnel they alleged were responsible.

Amid the escalating tensions, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) announced a 24-hour total shutdown across Kangpokpi district beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

In a statement, the organisation cited reported attacks in Chassad in Kamjong district, Yaolen in Ukhrul district and along the IT Road in Kangpokpi, warning that the incidents posed a serious threat to civilian safety.

CoTU said precautionary measures were necessary to protect residents in vulnerable areas and prevent further escalation.

More than 40 people have reportedly been killed and numerous houses torched since clashes between Kuki and Naga communities broke out in February this year. The violence has largely affected Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong and Noney districts, as well as parts of Senapati district.