Three killed in Manipur gunfight; bodies of two missing youths recovered

PTI, Nov 2, 2026, Imphal: Three persons belonging to the Kuki community were killed in a gunfight between rival armed groups in Manipur's Noney district, the police said on Sunday. In a separate development, the mutilated bodies of two youths, who had gone missing from a village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district three days earlier, were found in a hilly stretch in adjoining Senapati on Sunday, the police said.

In Noney, the gunfight broke out at Kekru Naga village on Saturday morning. The exchange of fire continued for several hours in the forested hill village, resulting in the death of three persons, they said. According to Kuki civil organisations, they were "village volunteers", he said.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the community, alleged that "Naga militant groups" were behind the killings and demanded "justice, accountability and immediate state action".

In Kangpokpi district, the bodies were found stuffed in gunny bags in a banana farm during a search operation to trace the two youths, identified as T Chongloi (21) and Paoginlal Hangsing (20), who went missing from Taphou Kuki village on October 29, they said.

Following the discovery of the bodies, protesters alleging that the youths were abducted and killed by "Naga militants" clashed with security forces in the Kangpokpi district headquarters.

Security forces baton-charged the agitators who were protesting in front of the SP office and also used tear gas to disperse the crowd, officials said.

The agitators claimed that a few of them received injuries in the incident. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the killing of the two youths.

The protesters said the bodies would not be taken to the village for final rites till the perpetrators were arrested.

Joint teams of the police, CRPF and Assam Rifles had conducted search operations along the boundary of Kangpokpi and Senapati districts to trace the youths, the officials said.

"During the course of one such operation, the joint teams recovered the two bodies. The bodies are of the two missing Kuki youths," he said.

"An extensive search operation was conducted today by joint teams comprising the Manipur Police, CoBRA, CRPF, Assam Rifles and RAF in the general area east of NH-2, along the SP Road," the police said in a statement.

SP Road is a hilly stretch that connects Senapati and Kangpokpi districts.

Necessary legal formalities are being carried out by the police, the statement said.

On Saturday, three people belonging to the Kuki community were killed in a gunfight between rival armed groups in Noney district, police said.

More than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses burnt across Tamenglong, Noney, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts since ethnic clashes broke out between Kuki and Naga communities in February this year.

The state had earlier witnessed ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis, in which over 300 people were killed, while 49 remained missing, and thousands were rendered homeless.