Five killed in fresh violence in strife-torn Manipur

Five people, including a woman, lost their lives in fresh violence in Manipur's Kamjong and Ukhrul districts on Saturday. In Chassad village, a 22-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were killed in a clash between Kuki and Naga armed groups. The woman, a mother of five, was shot near her neck and died within minutes; her death triggered an exchange of fire that continued on Saturday morning.

The man was killed in the subsequent clashes, with 10 houses set ablaze. Prohibitory orders were imposed to prevent further violence within a 400-meter radius of Chassad police gate junction. In another incident, suspected militants attacked the Tangkhul Naga settlement of Ningchou village, killing two persons, identified as Ngachanso Ningshen, 35, and Leishishan Leishadang, 48.

Security forces quelled the situation, and the bodies were sent for post-mortem. A 40-year-old man, Sandeep Rai, was also killed near Chepu Yaolen after suspected militants fired at his vehicle. Since February, over 40 people have been killed, and dozens of houses torched in Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, and Noney districts due to violence between Kuki and Naga communities. The violence has displaced thousands since May 2023.