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Fresh violence has erupted in India’s Manipur after three members of the Meitei community were killed in a suspected shooting near the border of Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts.
The victims had gone to a forest to collect firewood but did not return home. The incident occurred near Nongshum village at around 9:30am on Monday, October 19.
A senior police officer told ThePrint that suspected armed men opened fire on a group of people collecting firewood. Three people were killed and several others injured. The injured were taken to a hospital in Imphal, while security forces reached the scene after receiving reports of the attack.
Following news of the killings, local residents brought the bodies of two victims to the front of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh’s official residence in Imphal to protest.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, and the bodies were later taken to a hospital. Security was tightened around the chief minister’s residence and nearby areas.
The Meitei Heritage Society blamed armed members of the Kuki community for the attack. In a statement posted on X, the organisation said a camp belonging to an armed group in the area had been relocated in June 2026 despite objections from local residents, who had feared that its removal could expose them to attacks.
The organisation also claimed that warnings of a possible attack had been issued in advance and demanded an explanation from the chief minister over the security arrangements.
It called for those responsible to be identified and brought to justice.
Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh later held a security meeting and condemned the killings. Nemcha Kipgen also denounced the attack and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. She urged people not to spread rumours or engage in retaliatory violence.
Meanwhile, the Khamenlok Area Core Committee (KACO) expressed concern that the attack could be used to fuel further conflict by placing blame on the organisation and the Kuki-Zo community in the region.
Ethnic violence has continued in Manipur since clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities began on May 3, 2023. At least 300 people have been killed and more than 60,000 displaced in the conflict, according to the supplied report.
Tensions have risen again since President’s Rule ended in February this year and a new chief minister took office.
