Manipur Erupts Again: Four Killed in Highway Ambush as Fresh Violence Shakes Two Districts

Fresh violence has intensified tensions between Kuki and Naga communities in Manipur, with four people, including two women, killed in an ambush in Ukhrul district on Friday, a day after a Kuki woman was shot dead in a separate firing incident. The developments have disrupted normal life, with a 48-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi district and restrictions affecting highway traffic.

The latest attack took place around 1 pm at New Haven along National Highway 202, near Litan in Ukhrul district. The victims, reportedly belonging to the Naga community, were travelling in two separate vehicles when armed assailants opened fire. They were identified as Kapangkhui and her son Haoleila, from Shangshak village, and siblings August Ngalung and Khanmila, from Tashar village. Security forces rushed to the spot and an investigation was launched. The attackers have not been officially identified.

On Thursday, 42-year-old Kimneineng Chongloi was killed during firing between rival armed groups near Taphou Kuki village, while two men, Sehngam Chongloi (34) and Lamkhochon Chongloi (46), were injured. The incident occurred while villagers were harvesting paddy.

A separate firing incident was also reported in Ukhrul's Sinakeithei area on Thursday afternoon, leaving 45-year-old farmer Newton Mahung injured by a bullet in his shoulder.

Protesting the woman's killing, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) called a 48-hour shutdown from midnight on November 12. Markets remained closed and buses and autorickshaws stayed off the roads. Schools, medical facilities and emergency services were exempted.

COTU demanded the withdrawal of central and state security forces operating under the Senapati district SP, alleging failure to protect civilians. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the woman's killing and sought an impartial investigation.

The violence follows the killings of two Kuki youths, Paoginlal Hangshing and Tinginlun Chongloi, whose bodies were recovered on November 1 after they went missing on October 28. Their case was handed over to the NIA.

Manipur's ethnic conflict since May 2023 has claimed at least 306 lives, left 49 missing and displaced thousands. Separately, Kuki-Naga clashes have killed at least 50 people in the hill districts since February 2026.