Three Meetei civilians were killed and at least three injured in an armed attack near Khongbal Tangkhul, Manipur, prompting condemnations and calls for justice.
Imphal, Oct. 19: Three Meetei civilians were killed and at least three others injured after armed assailants opened fire on a group of villagers collecting firewood near Sunurok Uyok in the Khongbal Tangkhul area along the Imphal East–Kangpokpi district boundary on Monday morning.
The attack, reported at around 9.30 am, triggered protests in Imphal and condemnations from political leaders and civil society organisations, which called for accountability, stronger civilian protection and restraint to prevent further escalation.
The victims had reportedly gone to the nearby hills to collect firewood when they came under fire. Two were reported to have died at the scene, while the third succumbed to his injuries after being taken for medical treatment.
The deceased were identified in local media reports as Arubam Ronil, Lairenlakpam Inaobi and Kshetrimayum Sushil. At least three injured persons were taken to hospitals in Imphal. The identities of those responsible for the attack had not been officially established in the reports available on Monday. However, local residents claimed that the attack was carried out by Kuki militants.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) condemned the killings and demanded an immediate crackdown against armed groups, along with the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
COCOMI convenor YK Dhiren alleged that militants operating under the SoO arrangement were involved in the attack. He questioned how civilians could be targeted in an area where Central security forces, including the Assam Rifles, were deployed.
Dhiren also held the government responsible for failing to protect civilians, arguing that assurances about restored peace and freedom of movement had not prevented attacks in vulnerable areas.
The committee called for action to disarm armed groups and enforce accountability. Its allegations regarding the identity of the attackers had not been independently established.
The Liangmai Naga Katimai Ruangdi, Manipur (LNKR), has strongly condemned the October 19 killing of Arubam Ronil, Lairenlakpam Inaobi and Kshetrimayum Sushil in the Nogshum–Khongbal area of Khamenlok, Kangpokpi district, and demanded an impartial, time-bound investigation.
In a press statement issued on October 19, the Liangmai Naga students’ body expressed condolences to the bereaved families and called for accountability and concrete measures to protect Indigenous communities from further violence.
The LNKR alleged that the three civilians were killed by what it described as “Kuki Narco Terrorist”. The allegation regarding the perpetrators’ identity had not been independently verified.
The organisation said repeated killings and loss of life should not become normalised, insisting that demands for justice must be followed by action. It called for the prosecution of everyone found responsible, an end to the violence and effective measures to safeguard civilian lives.
The students’ body also questioned the gap between assurances of peace and development made during the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan 2026 programme in parts of Kangpokpi district on October 18 and the killings reported the following day.
Referring to Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen’s participation in the programme, the LNKR questioned the effectiveness of the assurances in light of the subsequent attack. It demanded clear answers from the authorities on the security measures in place to protect Indigenous people.
The organisation maintained that political assurances could not replace tangible protection and accountability, urging the government to ensure that those responsible for the killings were brought to justice.
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the killings, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and called for swift action to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Kipgen urged law enforcement agencies and the administration to take immediate steps to strengthen security and prevent further attacks on civilians. She also appealed to people to remain calm, reject rumours and refrain from retaliatory violence amid heightened tensions.
She called on community leaders and civil society organisations to work together to restore peace and protect civilian lives.
The Khamenlok Area Core Committee (KACCO) also condemned the killing of the three civilians and expressed condolences to their families.
The committee said the incident had dealt another blow to efforts to rebuild the conflict-affected area and restore peaceful coexistence. It urged the government, security forces and the public to take immediate measures to safeguard civilians across communities.
KACCO further warned against attempts to exploit the killings to inflame communal tensions and called on the public and media to verify information before circulating it.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) expressed anguish over the deaths and called for measures to protect the area and prevent further deterioration of relations between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. It also cautioned against attempts to use the incident to aggravate inter-community hostility.
The Kuki Inpi and civil society organisations in Saikul Gamkai separately condemned the attack, expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and called for the perpetrators to be identified and punished in accordance with the law.
The organisations stressed that violence would not resolve the conflict and urged communities to maintain restraint while authorities investigated the killings.
The killings triggered protests in Imphal, where residents brought the bodies of victims to the entrance of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s residence in Babupara, demanding accountability and action to prevent further attacks.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters as tensions rose. A road blockade was also reported at Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East district. The bodies were subsequently taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), according to local media reports.
The attack occurred in a sensitive area near the boundary between Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts, where security concerns have persisted during the conflict that began in Manipur in May 2023.
While several organisations have condemned the killings and demanded action, the circumstances of the attack and the identities of the assailants remain to be established through investigation. Calls for restraint have also accompanied demands for justice, amid concerns that the incident could trigger further inter-community tensions.
