Manipur has recorded one of its bloodiest 24-hour windows in recent months, with three people killed, several injured and three reported missing across separate incidents of militant ambush, communal clashes and arson in Imphal East, Thoubal and Kamjong districts, police said.
The multi-district violence points to a dangerous widening of the state’s already fragile security fault lines, even as additional state and central forces have been rushed to the affected areas.
Militant ambush in Imphal East
Two people were shot dead and two others wounded when suspected militants ambushed a group of firewood collectors in the hilly forested areas near Nongshum in Imphal East. According to police, around 10 people had entered the area to collect firewood when the attackers struck, killing two on the spot and injuring two others.
Three more members of the group remain missing, and efforts were underway to retrieve the bodies of the deceased while a search operation continued to trace the missing persons and the assailants.
Communal clashes in Thoubal
In a separate incident, one person was killed and several injured during clashes between members of two communities at Khangabok village, under the Thoubal police station, about 25 km south of Imphal. Police said the violence broke out after a group allegedly pelted stones at a venue hosting a music concert, escalating into clashes between residents of Khangabok and the neighbouring village of Sangaiyumpham.
Several houses and vehicles were set on fire during the unrest, and unidentified persons opened fire, fatally striking a man in the head. The deceased, identified as Laishram Rakesh, was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The Thoubal District Magistrate issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, barring residents of the two villages from leaving their homes after 11 pm.
Houses torched in Kamjong
More than 25 houses were set ablaze across Kamjong district during the same 24-hour period, with suspected militants targeting areas inhabited by both Naga and Kuki communities. Around 14 abandoned houses belonging to Naga families were torched at Pilong and Skipe villages along the India-Myanmar border, forcing civilians to flee to forests and a nearby security camp.
The flare-up adds to a long trail of arson in the hill districts; fresh Naga-Kuki clashes had rocked neighbouring Ukhrul district earlier, underlining how fragile the ethnic balance remains. While the Kuki-Zo Council and the state government held their first direct talks toward de-escalation earlier, the ground reality suggests the path to lasting peace remains long and uncertain.
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