Four killed and child injured in attacks in Manipur

Four people were killed and a six year old child was injured in two separate armed attacks in Manipur on Sunday. The first incident occurred around 4:00 am to 5:30 am at Tollen village in the Tamenglong district, where a woman was shot dead and her husband later died from his injuries. Their six year old son sustained a bullet injury and was taken to Silchar Medical College in Assam, where he is reported to be stable. A second attack took place around 3:00 pm at Longpi village, resulting in the deaths of a man and a woman.

Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh condemned the killings as cowardly acts of violence against innocent civilians. While police stated that a probe is underway to identify the culprits, various groups have attributed the attacks to militants. The Western Village Volunteer, a Kuki group, and village authorities alleged that the attacks were carried out by cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak Muivah) and the Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson).

The violence coincided with Black Day, an annual observance by Kukis to remember victims of the Kuki Naga conflict from the 1990s. One source notes that tensions between the Kuki and Naga communities have escalated since February, contributing to a death toll of at least 38 in that specific conflict this year. This follows broader ethnic clashes in Manipur that began in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki Zo Hmar communities.