Fresh Clashes in Manipur Hill Districts Raise Death Toll to Nine

The death toll from fresh clashes in Manipur’s hill districts rose to nine on Sunday after killings reported on Friday and Saturday in Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul. Police and local sources identified the victims as six members of the Naga community, two from the Kuki community and one man of Nepali (Gorkha) origin.

The latest outbreak began on Friday night near Chassad police station in Naga-majority Kamjong district. Domkhonei Touthang, a 42-year-old Kuki woman and mother of five, was shot dead during an exchange of fire that started when security forces moved to dismantle alleged illegal bunkers. Her death triggered further clashes between Kuki and Naga armed groups. Early on Saturday a 22- or 23-year-old Kuki man, Michael Ngamminlen Haokip, was also killed in Chassad. Multiple houses were burned.

In Kangpokpi district on Saturday, suspected militants attacked Tapon and Makui villages, killing two Naga village guards and another person. The Working Committee of the JTC Manipur said a 52-year-old villager, Ajinbou R., had been beheaded. A video circulated on social media that purportedly showed armed individuals recording the severed head. In Ukhrul, Sandeep Rai, a 30-year-old Gorkha farmer, was ambushed and killed while travelling by car.

Bodies of seven of the nine victims were handed over to families on Sunday after post-mortem examinations. Prohibitory orders under Section 162 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were imposed in Chassad. Additional Central Armed Police Forces and Manipur Police units were deployed to Kangpokpi and Kamjong. No fresh incidents were reported on Sunday itself.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the killings and instructed authorities to restore order and ensure the safety of civilians. He appealed to all communities to exercise restraint. The violence follows earlier ethnic conflict in the state that began in May 2023 between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups and has claimed more than 300 lives, according to figures given to the Assembly in September.

The current clashes involve Naga and Kuki communities rather than the earlier Meitei-Kuki pattern. Security forces launched operations against alleged bunkers and village volunteers. FIRs registered at Kamjong police station named suspected Kuki National Army militants in some of the attacks. Naga civil society groups demanded the return of the beheaded villager’s head for last rites and compensation for affected families.

Manipur was under President’s Rule from February 2025 until early 2026, after which a new BJP-led government under Khemchand Singh took office. The state has seen intermittent violence in the hill districts even after the formal restoration of elected government. Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had noted more than 60 deaths since the start of 2026.

Local authorities intensified search operations and patrolling to prevent further escalation. Gorkha groups called for enhanced security in their settlements and compensation for Rai’s family in line with Cabinet decisions. The situation remained tense across the three districts on Sunday as families collected the remains and prepared for funerals.

The outbreak underscores the continued fragility of inter-community relations in Manipur’s hills more than three years after the initial violence. Officials have not announced additional political measures beyond the security deployments and appeals for calm.