Fresh Violence in Manipur: Woman Killed, Husband Injured in Kamjong District
A Kuki-Zo woman was killed and her husband injured in an alleged ambush in Kamjong district, while two other civilians remain missing. The incident followed the recovery of a Naga man's severed head in Kangpokpi, amid continuing Kuki-Naga tensions.
IMPHAL- A Kuki-Zo woman was killed and her husband injured in an alleged ambush in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Thursday, while two other civilians from the community remained missing, adding to tensions amid continuing violence between Kuki-Zo and Naga groups.
The incident occurred hours after security forces recovered the severed head of a Naga man killed in an earlier attack in Kangpokpi district, bringing renewed attention to civilian safety and the risk of further escalation in the state’s hill districts.
The woman was identified as Hatneikim Haokip, a resident of Molnoi village and the wife of Jangkhongam Haokip. According to preliminary reports and local accounts, four civilians travelling on two two-wheelers to Phaikoh to purchase essential commodities were targeted between approximately 4 pm and 5 pm.
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A senior police officer confirmed that four civilians had been ambushed by suspected National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) militants in Kamjong district. Police accounts placed the incident in a forested area between Phaikoh and Mulvailup.
Hatneikim reportedly died at the scene. Her husband sustained bullet injuries but managed to escape. The other two travellers, D. Paokhothang Haokip and his wife, Boishi Haokip, residents of Chassad village, remained unaccounted for at the time of reporting.
Local Kuki organisations said the woman was killed during crossfire. The precise circumstances of the shooting and the whereabouts of the missing couple had not been independently established.
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Kuki Inpi Manipur condemns attack
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), an organisation representing the Kuki community, issued a statement condemning the incident and accusing NSCN-IM of responsibility.
The organisation urged the state and Central governments to take immediate measures to protect civilians, locate the missing persons and bring those responsible to justice. It also called for an operation to apprehend the alleged perpetrators.
The accusation against NSCN-IM had not been independently verified. At the time of initial reporting, police had confirmed the basic facts of the ambush but had not issued a detailed formal account establishing responsibility.
The immediate priorities remain locating the missing civilians, establishing the sequence of events and ensuring the safety of people travelling through affected areas.
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Home Minister calls for dialogue
Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam appealed for an end to violence while speaking to the media in Imphal on Thursday.
The minister was visiting BSF personnel hospitalised at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences following a suspected food poisoning incident when he commented on the broader security situation.
“When the general people do not have humanity, then nobody can stop killing each other. We should understand that,” he said.
“Killing will never solve any problem. We should talk to each other, and all differences should be resolved through dialogue,” he added.
His remarks came amid renewed concerns over retaliatory violence and the safety of civilians belonging to both communities.
Severed head of Naga victim recovered in Kangpokpi
In a separate but related development in the wider cycle of violence, a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur Police recovered the severed head of Naga man Ajinbou Ringkamai late on Wednesday night.
The recovery took place in an isolated area near the site of an October 10 attack on Makui Ashang village in Kangpokpi district. Ringkamai was among four Naga men reportedly killed in the attack, which was attributed in initial accounts to suspected Kuki militants.
His head had been missing after his headless body was taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal on October 11. The recovered remains were brought to JNIMS on Thursday morning for an autopsy.
The recovery followed a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTC/WC-JTC), which represents communities including the Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme.
The council had demanded the return of Ringkamai’s head before the post-mortem examination could proceed, citing the family’s right to a dignified burial and objecting to the mutilation of the victim’s remains.
Following the recovery, the Liangmai Students’ Union confirmed that the autopsy began at around 11 am on Thursday, with funeral arrangements planned for Friday.
However, the JTC said its agitation would continue until the arrest of three individuals it had named: Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Sailen Haokip. These are allegations and demands made by the organisation; their culpability has not been established in the information available.
Continuing clashes raise concerns over civilian safety
The latest incidents come against the backdrop of ongoing Kuki-Naga clashes reported to have begun in February 2026.
Figures cited in reports indicate that at least 22 Naga and 32 Kuki-Zo people had been killed since the violence began. Thursday’s incident was reported to bring the number of Kuki-Zo women killed in the clashes to 10.
These figures are reported estimates and may be subject to revision as further incidents are verified.
The two latest developments highlight the risk that killings, retaliatory demands and disputes over the handling of victims’ remains could deepen tensions between communities.
For authorities, the immediate challenges include locating the missing civilians, investigating the Kamjong ambush, establishing accountability in the Kangpokpi killings and maintaining security in vulnerable areas.
Community organisations have called for action, while the Home Minister has stressed dialogue as a means of resolving differences. Whether tensions can be contained will depend on the investigation of the incidents, protection of civilians and efforts to prevent further retaliatory violence.
