Five people were killed in two separate incidents in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, police said on Sunday, as fresh ethnic violence erupted in the conflict-hit region.
Three men belonging to the Kuki tribal community were killed in an exchange of gunfire involving unidentified armed groups in Noney district on Saturday, according to a police statement.
In a separate incident, the bodies of two other Kuki men who had gone missing earlier in the week were recovered in Kangpokpi district on Sunday morning. Police said security personnel had launched a search operation before the bodies were found.
Blame Over Killings
A prominent Kuki tribal organisation blamed Naga separatist groups for the killings, describing the incidents as a direct and unprovoked assault on the community in its homeland.
The allegations came amid mass protests attended by hundreds of thousands of people in the state capital, Imphal, and other areas. Demonstrators demanded the abrogation of a ceasefire arrangement between Kuki armed groups and the Indian state.
Longstanding Tensions
The predominantly Christian Kuki and Naga tribal communities have a long history of conflict over competing claims to ancestral homelands in Manipur, a remote state in northeastern India.
The latest round of fighting reportedly began after a Naga man was allegedly assaulted by men from the Kuki community in February 2026.
The killing of three Kuki pastors in May, allegedly by Naga armed groups, subsequently triggered a series of retaliatory abductions and killings involving members of both communities.
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The latest clashes have further aggravated tensions in Manipur, which has also been affected by a prolonged ethnic conflict between the Kuki community and the predominantly Hindu Meitei community.
Wider Conflict
The conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities began in May 2023 amid disputes over economic benefits, employment opportunities and job reservations.
The violence has claimed more than 300 lives and displaced over 60,000 people, many of whom continue to live in temporary shelters.
The latest Kuki-Naga violence has added another layer to Manipur’s complex ethnic tensions, raising fresh concerns about security and the prospects for lasting peace in the region.
