Manipur Civilian Attacks
Four Kuki-Zo Civilians Killed in Separate Attacks Across Manipur Districts
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Key Points
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Two other children from the Tollen family reportedly escaped the shooting unharmed. Assam Rifles personnel evacuated the injured father and six-year-old boy toward Jiribam for urgent treatment.
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The Kuki Inpi Jiribam, Tamenglong and Noney questioned how the attack occurred reportedly just a few hundred metres from a security-force deployment and sought clarification and accountability over security arrangements.
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Manipur Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh described the attacks as “cowardly acts of violence” and said they were “unacceptable” and had “no place in our society.”
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The Kuki Youth Organisation Women’s Council called not only for an impartial investigation but also for stronger intelligence gathering and preventive security measures to protect civilians along the corridor.
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The attacks occurred against a wider backdrop of earlier ethnic violence: the Kuki-Naga conflict that began in 1992 lasted six years and killed more than 1,000 people, while the 2023 Kuki-Meitei violence claimed more than 260 lives, according to the report.
Four Kuki-Zo civilians were killed in two separate attacks across Manipur's Tamenglong and Noney districts on September 13, marking a dangerous escalation in ethnic violence. Scroll.in reported that in Tollen village, unidentified gunmen attacked a family before dawn, killing a mother and her husband and critically wounding their six-year-old son. Hours later, two people were ambushed and killed while collecting supplies in Longpi village, with a woman feared abducted.
The attacks occurred on the Kuki community's Black Day, which commemorates deaths from the 1992–1998 Kuki-Naga conflict that killed over 1,000 people. The Hindu reported that Manipur Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh called the violence "cowardly acts" that were "unacceptable" and had "no place in our society." Kuki organizations alleged NSCN (IM) and ZUF (K) cadres were responsible, though these claims have not been independently verified.
Family Slaughtered Near Active Security Post
In Tollen village, gunmen attacked a home just before dawn, killing 70-year-old Chonga Sitlhou and her husband. Their six-year-old son suffered serious wounds. Assam Rifles personnel evacuated the injured child toward Jiribam for emergency surgery. Two older children from the family escaped unharmed.
The Kuki Inpi Jiribam, Tamenglong and Noney questioned how the assault occurred just a few hundred meters from an active security post, demanding accountability for the security gap. ThePrint noted that the incident raised urgent questions about civilian protection along the NH-37 corridor.
Second Ambush Hours Later in Noney District
Hours after the Tollen attack, armed assailants ambushed two civilians collecting rice and essential supplies in Longpi village, Noney district. Both were killed on the spot. A woman accompanying them was feared abducted, according to local reports.
The twin attacks raised alarm about safety along the key transport corridor. Rediff reported that suspected militants have targeted villages across multiple districts, creating a pattern of violence that extends beyond the earlier Kuki-Meitei conflict into Kuki-Naga tensions.
Kuki Leaders Demand Investigation and Stronger Security
The Kuki Youth Organisation Women's Council called for an impartial investigation and stronger intelligence operations to prevent future attacks. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and four Kuki-Zo MLAs issued a joint statement condemning the killings as "barbaric" and demanding swift identification of perpetrators.
Kuki organizations declared a 24-hour economic blockade along key highways. Naga village authorities strongly condemned the violence and urged external insurgent groups not to use Naga districts as battlegrounds. The Manipur government agreed to transfer the case to the National Investigation Agency for federal oversight.
Escalation Reshapes Manipur's Ethnic Conflict Landscape
The attacks mark a shift beyond the May 2023 Kuki-Meitei violence that killed over 260 people. These killings show renewed tensions between Kuki and Naga communities along shared borders. The 1992–1998 Kuki-Naga conflict killed more than 1,000 people before ending, leaving deep scars.
Security experts warn that targeting NH-37 endangers a vital supply corridor for the region. The economic blockade threatens further disruptions. State officials promised rehabilitation and financial support for the Tollen family's four surviving children as investigations proceed into the perpetrators.
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