Violence Escalates in Manipur; At Least 9 Killed, Including Man of Nepali Origin
Dragon Media News Desk
At least nine people, including a man of Nepali origin, were killed in violence that spread across Manipur’s Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts from Friday night into Saturday. Around 14 homes in Naga and Kuki communities were set on fire.
The violence erupted near Chassad village in Kamjong district after security forces began an operation to remove bunkers described as illegal. Police said local women tried to obstruct the operation, after which unidentified assailants opened fire on security personnel and the forces retaliated. Kuki woman Domkhonei Touthang, 42, was shot dead. Kuki organisations, however, accused security personnel of firing on unarmed women at the protest. Neither account has been independently verified.
Two Naga village guards were killed in Ningchou Chingdong village in Kamjong. A Kuki women’s organisation also claimed that a man named Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was killed by a Naga armed group. That claim has not been independently verified.
In Kangpokpi district, three Naga village guards were reportedly killed in Makui village, and another volunteer died in a separate attack near Tapon. Two people were injured. In Ukhrul district, Sandeep Rai was shot by unidentified assailants while travelling by car near Konjang on National Highway 202. Police have registered a case but have not identified the attackers or established their motive.
Reports differ on the death toll. Some national media outlets reported at least nine deaths, while local news sources put the toll at 10 or 11, including suspected armed-group members. The final figure cannot be confirmed until an official list of the dead is released.
Amid rising tensions, Kamjong authorities banned gatherings within 400 metres of Chassad police station. The Committee on Tribal Unity called a 24-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi district. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss efforts to restore peace. The Chief Minister’s Secretariat said Modi assured the state government of all possible assistance to restore peace and normalcy.
Manipur’s broader ethnic violence began on May 3, 2023, with clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Since then, violence has also involved tensions between other communities, including Nagas and Kukis. According to figures presented by the state Home Minister to the Legislative Assembly, 306 people had been killed and 49 remained missing in the broader conflict from May 2023 through August 31, 2026. Those figures do not represent the separate death toll from the latest Naga-Kuki violence.
