Two Kuki-Zo women were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at Leijangphai in Manipur’s Tamenglong district on September 15, just two days after four Kuki-Zo civilians were killed in separate attacks in Tamenglong and Noney. The latest victims were identified as Phalneichong (Chonga) Sitlhou, 76, and Kimjalhing (Kimboi) Singson, 30, who were reportedly carrying out routine farm-related work when they were ambushed around 3 pm.
Officials, quoting local residents, said some farmhouses were also set ablaze and several villagers could not be traced following the attack. Police are investigating the incident, while efforts to locate those reported missing are underway.
The latest killings have taken the reported number of Kuki-Zo civilian deaths in the two districts to six in three days. The Kuki-Zo Council has condemned the killings and demanded protection for civilians and action against those responsible, while authorities have reiterated that violence will not be allowed to derail efforts towards peace and normalcy.
Women Targeted While Farming
The September 15 attack took place in Leijangphai, a remote settlement near Muktokhal in Tamenglong district. According to reports citing sources and local residents, Sitlhou and Singson were engaged in routine activities at their farm when unidentified armed assailants opened fire.
Both women died at the spot. Singson, 30, had recently completed a nursing course and had returned home to help her parents with farming, according to local sources. Sitlhou was reportedly collecting firewood when she was killed.
The attack was followed by reports that a few kutcha farmhouses in the area had been set on fire. Officials, quoting locals, also said several villagers could not be traced after the incident. The identities and whereabouts of those reported missing were not immediately clear, and the circumstances surrounding the fires remain under investigation. The reported attacks have heightened concerns among residents in an area already affected by prolonged ethnic violence.
The Kuki-Zo Council condemned the killings, describing them as part of what it called an “alarming pattern” of attacks against civilians. The organisation alleged that armed groups were responsible and called on the Manipur and central governments to protect vulnerable communities and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. These allegations have not been independently established, and the perpetrators of the September 15 attack had not been officially identified at the time of reporting.
Six Deaths In Three Days
The latest killings came after two separate attacks on September 13 in Tamenglong and neighbouring Noney district. Four Kuki-Zo civilians, including two women, were killed in the incidents. At Tollen Kuki village in Tamenglong, Lhingjangai Singsit was killed after suspected militants attacked her family at home. Her husband, Seineih Singsit, and their young son were injured, with Seineih later succumbing to his injuries while being taken to a hospital in Silchar, Assam.
In a separate attack at Longpi village in Noney, a woman and a man were shot dead. Reports identified the victims as Julie Gangte and Thangvel Gangte. The incidents occurred on September 13, a day observed by the Kuki community as ‘Sahnit Ni’ or ‘Black Day’ in memory of those killed and displaced during the Kuki-Naga conflict of the 1990s. Community organisations have alleged involvement of Naga armed groups in the attacks, but authorities have not established responsibility publicly.
The violence has prompted calls for accountability from both community representatives and political leaders. Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam, speaking after the September 13 attacks, said violence against civilians was “unacceptable” and that authorities had been directed to establish the facts, identify those responsible and pursue them under the law.
He also said violence would not be allowed to derail Manipur’s “path towards peace and normalcy”. Separately, the investigation into the Tollen killings was reported to have been transferred to the National Investigation Agency on September 15.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Six civilian deaths reported across three days in Manipur are a painful reminder of how quickly insecurity can return to communities already living through years of conflict. Regardless of community identity, civilians should never become targets, and allegations of violence must be investigated impartially so that victims and their families can receive justice. At the same time, inflammatory claims or collective blame can deepen mistrust and make reconciliation even harder.
The priority must remain the protection of civilians, transparent investigations, accountability under the law and sustained dialogue between communities. Peace cannot simply mean an absence of headlines about violence; it must mean that people can work, travel, farm and live without fear. What steps do you think are most important to rebuild trust and safety among Manipur’s communities?
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