Manipur violence: Situation remains tense as death toll rises to nine, CM calls for peace

Tension prevailed in Manipur on Sunday (October 11, 2026) following two days of armed conflict between Kuki and Naga communities that claimed nine lives across three districts.

The unofficial toll stood at 11, with two members of the Kuki National Army-Burma, a Myanmar-based armed group, reportedly killed in a gunfight near the India-Myanmar border in the Naga-dominated Kamjong district.

The violence began in Kamjong on Friday (October 10) night and spread to the interior areas of Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district by Saturday (October 10) afternoon.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the killing of civilians and the violence. “I have instructed the authorities concerned to take immediate and effective steps to control the situation, restore peace and order and ensure the safety and security of all citizens,” he said.

The Chief Minister appealed to public leaders and community-based organisations to exercise restraint and cooperate in defusing the situation. He urged people to prioritise peace, dialogue and harmony. He said additional security forces have been dispatched to Kamjong and Kangpokpi, the two worst-hit districts.

Leishiyo Keishing, Naga MLA representing the Phungyar constituency in Kamjong, wrote to the State’s Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas on Saturday (October 10), urging him to deploy adequate security personnel to the district to protect lives and public property.

The first victim in the latest string of violence was a 42-year-old Kuki woman who was killed by unidentified gunmen in Kamjong’s Chassad Kuki village on Friday night. The killing led to a gunfight between armed groups that continued till Saturday morning, during which a 22-year-old Kuki man was killed.

Spread of violence

The violence spread to other areas of the district on Saturday (October 10), resulting in the death of two Naga men. Almost simultaneously, suspected extremists killed a Gurkha farmer travelling to his leased farm in the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district.

Hours later, four Nagas were killed in two separate attacks in Kangpokpi district. One of them was beheaded, locals said.

On Sunday (October 11), the All Naga Students’ Association condemned the “calculated terror attacks” against Naga people by “Kuki National Army-Burma, Kuki armed militants under Suspension of Operation pact with Government of India and Kuki Village Volunteer Eastern Zone in pursuit of their imaginary dream of Kukiland, a Separate Administration or a Union Territory based on their fabricated history and lopsided story.”

The student body also slammed the Manipur Police for allegedly claiming that the overall law-and-order situation remained normal during the preceding 24 hours. “How can a government declare normalcy when Naga villages are under armed assault, civilians are being slaughtered, homes are being torched, and families are mourning their dead?” it asked.

Kuki organisations, in turn, accused the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, or the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN, of targeting members of their community.

More than 50 people have died in the Kuki-Naga clashes in Manipur since they began in February over an alleged drunken brawl. More than half of them have been killed since August 27.