Guwahati: Nine people, including a Kuki mother of five and a Gorkha farmer, were killed in 12 hours of violence across three Manipur districts, as houses and shops were torched and gunfights erupted, prompting prohibitory orders in Kamjong and an indefinite shutdown call on NH-202.Since the outbreak of the Naga-Kuki clashes in February, at least 22 Nagas and 31 Kukis have been killed.The toll, comprising six Nagas, two Kukis and a Gorkha farmer, makes it one of the deadliest outbreaks in the state in the past year. While state authorities did not identify those behind the attacks, Naga and Kuki civil society groups accused militant outfits operating in Manipur and across the Myanmar border of orchestrating the killings.The violence on Saturday followed the death of Domkhonei Touthang, a 42-year-old Kuki woman, at Chassad village in Kamjong on Friday night. She was among those protesting the dismantling of village guard posts by joint teams of the police, the Indian Reserve Battalion and the Border Security Force.Police sources said she was caught in crossfire between security forces and militants. Hit by two bullets — one in the leg and another in the chest — she died around 10pm. Kuki-Zo groups held the security forces and the NSCN (IM) responsible for her death.Tension escalated rapidly. By early Saturday, unidentified groups from the Kuki and Naga communities were setting fire to houses and shops in each other’s areas amid intense gunfights.At Chassad, 22-year-old Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was killed in an attack that began around 4.30am. Several Kuki houses were burnt, with the Kuki CSO Working Committee alleging that the NSCN (IM) was behind the attack.Around 9.30am, two Naga civilians from Ningchou village, near the India-Myanmar border, were killed by suspected Kuki militants. They were identified as Ngachanso Ningshen, 35, and Leishishan Leishadang, 45.At around the same time in Kangpokpi district, armed men allegedly belonging to Kuki SoO groups surrounded Makui Asang, a Liangmai Naga village, and opened heavy fire. Naga village defenders, armed with licensed firearms and single-barrel guns, retaliated. Four defenders were killed, including Ajinpou Ringkangmai, who was beheaded. The others were identified as Daimai Machungammamg, Robert and D Ringkangmai.In a separate incident, Sandeep Rai, a 40-year-old Gorkha farmer, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen around 6am on Saturday while driving along the Mahadev-Toloi-Pfutsero road in Ukhrul district.Between August 27 and September 26, at least 21 people were killed in Naga-Kuki violence in Manipur, including 11 Nagas and 10 Kukis. The toll also included an unborn child, taking the total number of deaths to 22. The highest toll in a single incident was reported in Kangpokpi on Aug 27, when four Nagas were killed. Another four Nagas were killed in Kamjong on Sept 24. The killings were reported in Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Noney, Jiribam, Kamjong and Senapati.Manipur chief minister Y Khemchand Singh was in New Delhi, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CM wrote on X that Modi had assured the state government of all possible help in its efforts to restore peace and normalcy.The CM’s office said, “The prime minister acknowledged the state government’s efforts to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur. He felt that the situation in the state has improved….”Former chief minister N Biren Singh also took to X to express alarm over the deteriorating security situation.“Particularly disturbing is the killing of Sandeep Rai, a member of the Nepalese community,” he said.“What is going on? How weak have we become that armed militants can kill people, burn down police stations and challenge the authority of the Indian state with such impunity?,” he wrote.He added, “This is a serious threat to our country’s internal security and sovereignty. All illegally held weapons must be recovered, launch decisive operations against armed militant groups and strengthen our Indo-Myanmar border. Both state and central security forces must act without further delay.”
