Unidentified assailants killed a 45-year-old Kuki man in ethnic violence-hit Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, while roughly six Kuki houses were set ablaze in Ukhrul. The arson and killing coincided with a shutdown imposed to protest the deaths of three Meiteis in an ambush in Imphal East on Monday, which heavily disrupted normal life across five Meitei-dominated districts in the Imphal Valley. Protracted ethnic unrest has claimed at least 306 lives in the state since 2023.
Local residents reported that two individuals were gathering bamboo shoots when armed attackers opened fire in Kangpokpi, resulting in the instant death of Paolen Khongsai, while his companion narrowly escaped. Police rushed to the location to launch an investigation, prompting local councils and village volunteers to issue warnings urging residents to avoid isolated and forested areas due to suspected movements of armed individuals.
In Ukhrul, police stated that six houses were burned down at a Kuki village named Patleijang. The perpetrators managed to flee the scene, and no casualties were reported from the arson. Authorities noted that the specific identities and number of attackers, as well as the exact motive behind the crime, remained undetermined, leading to the registration of a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning mischief by fire or explosive substances.
Civil society groups and residents living along National Highway 202 initiated a 48-hour shutdown starting Monday evening. Protesters blocked major roadways at key intersections across Imphal West and Bishnupur, where individuals burned tyres and debris along Tiddim Road. While the bandh-hit areas remained relatively calm on Tuesday morning, educational institutions stayed closed, marketplaces were deserted, and public transport services were suspended as security forces maintained a high alert.
The widespread protests were sparked by Monday's ambush deaths of three Meiteis who had been collecting firewood in a forest. Protesters left two of the bodies outside the residence gate of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, leading security forces to deploy tear gas shells to disperse the crowd that had breached security lines. Families of the victims alleged that the attack was carried out by members of the Kuki community, though official confirmation was pending.
This violence marks a renewal of direct conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which had not seen direct clashes since July 13. The prolonged ethnic conflict began in May 2023, causing a severe breakdown in law and order that established distinct ethnic enclaves and displaced 66,000 residents across the state.