Four Naga people killed in Ukhrul ambush in Manipur
Suspected militants targeted two vehicles on the Imphal-Ukhrul road, killing four people including two women on Friday.
Four members of the Naga community were killed on Friday when suspected militants opened fire on two vehicles in the New Heaven area of Manipur’s Ukhrul district, according to The Pioneer and Hindustan Times. The victims, identified as Kapangkhui RS, Haoleila RS, August Ngalung, and Khanmila Keishing, were travelling towards Imphal on the NH-202 when the attack occurred.
A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack was launched by unknown armed miscreants suspected to be Kuki militants. Security forces have launched a search operation in the surrounding areas following the incident. Local media reported that the victims died on the spot, with bullet marks found on the windshields of both cars.
The ambush follows a period of heightened violence in the state. On Thursday, a 42-year-old Kuki woman, identified as Kimneineng Chongloi, was shot dead during a gunfight between rival groups near Taphou Kuki village in Kangpokpi district and Kailengjang in Senapati district. Kuki organisations alleged that members of the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K were responsible for her death while she was working in a paddy field.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) called a 48-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi district starting from midnight on November 12 to protest the killing of the Kuki woman. The group has demanded the withdrawal of Central and State security forces from the hill areas of the district.
Since May 2023, ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have resulted in at least 306 deaths. Additionally, clashes between Kuki and Naga groups in the hill districts have killed at least 50 people since February. A Ministry of Home Affairs commission of inquiry is currently examining the violence and has until May 20 to submit its report.