2 Kuki women shot dead in Manipur's Tamenglong, farmhouses set ablaze
Two women from the Kuki community were shot dead and several farmhouses were set ablaze in a fresh attack in Manipur's Tamenglong district on Tuesday, officials said, two days after four people were killed in separate incidents of violence in Tamenglong and neighbouring Noney district.
The latest attack took place in Leisangphai village, where the two women had gone to an isolated field to collect firewood, officials said, quoting local residents. Armed militants allegedly opened fire on them, killing 60-year-old Chonga Sitlhou and 30-year-old Kimboi Singson.
Their bodies, bearing gunshot wounds, were found lying in the field and were later recovered by villagers, officials said. Several villagers were also reported missing, though there was no immediate official confirmation on their whereabouts. The attackers also allegedly set fire to a few kutcha farmhouses outside the village.FOUR KILLED IN SUNDAY ATTACKS
The latest killings came two days after four people, including a couple, were killed in two separate attacks in Tamenglong district on Sunday.
The first incident took place around 5.30 am at Tollen village under Kaimai police station. Police said 46-year-old Lhingzangai Sinshit was killed on the spot, while her husband, Seineh Singsit, and their six-year-old son suffered bullet injuries.
The injured were taken towards Silchar Medical College in Assam, but Seineh succumbed to his injuries on the way and was declared brought dead. Their six-year-old son is undergoing treatment.
No group has claimed responsibility for the Tollen attack and an investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators.SECOND ATTACK IN LONGPI
Hours later, around 3 pm, another attack was reported at Longpi village, around 30 km west of Nungba police station. Police said they could not reach the village immediately because of non-motorable road conditions, but a spot inquiry was planned for Monday.
The Western Village Volunteers, a Kuki group, claimed that two people, identified as Jilie Singson and Reol Gangte, were killed in the Longpi attack. It alleged that cadres of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K were behind the incident, though the claims have not been independently verified.
The group also claimed that the attackers were confronted and driven back after an exchange of fire with village volunteers.306 KILLED SINCE 2023
The fresh violence comes amid continuing tensions in Manipur, where an ethnic conflict between the valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities erupted in May 2023.
At least 306 people have been killed in the conflict, while 49 remain missing and thousands have been displaced, according to the figures cited by officials.
The Kaimai Village Authority condemned the Tollen attack, calling for an impartial investigation and urging both Kuki and Naga communities to avoid rumours or provocation.
The Kuki Youth Organisation Womenβs Council also condemned the violence and sought stronger security measures and protection for women, children and other vulnerable civilians. The group noted that the September 13 attack came around the time observed by the Kuki community as a "Black Day" in memory of those killed during the Naga-Kuki clashes of the 1990s, which claimed more than 1,000 lives.- EndsWith inputs from Anupam Mishra and PTIPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 22:35 IST
