Manipur: Four Naga civilians killed in Kangpokpi ambush

At least four Naga civilians were killed in an ambush on the IT Road in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday morning. The victims, including a village authority chairman and a school principal, were traveling from Makui toward Senapati when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle. One person was injured and another was initially reported missing, though later reports indicate a student leader escaped the attack.

The United Naga Council (UNC) has accused Kuki militant groups, specifically the Kuki National Front (P) and the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), of carrying out the attack. In response, the UNC declared a 12-hour ‘genna’ (a period of strict prohibition and community worship) across Naga-inhabited areas, resulting in a shutdown of shops, businesses, and government offices.

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh held a high-level security meeting to address the incident, ordering security agencies to apprehend those responsible. Local leaders and Congress officials have criticized the event as a security failure, with some calling for the central government to take more decisive action to end the cycle of ethnic violence that has persisted in the state since May 2023.