The killings came hours after Kuki villagers released about 20 Tangkhul civilians they had detained during a highway blockade meant to pressure authorities to rescue the abducted men.
BY PC Bureau
March 12, 2026 — In a grim escalation of Manipur’s ongoing ethnic conflict, the bodies of two Kuki men allegedly abducted by suspected Tangkhul volunteers were discovered early Thursday in forested areas near Thawai Kuki village in Kamjong district. The killings have triggered fresh tensions across the volatile hill districts of Kamjong, Ukhrul, and Kangpokpi, just hours after several detained Tangkhul civilians were released following tense negotiations mediated by authorities.
The victims were identified as Thengin Baite, 40, son of the late Sempao Baite of Thawai Kuki village, and Thangboimang Khongsai, 35, son of the late Kaipao Khongsai of Shangkai village. According to local sources and posts on social media platform X, the two men were abducted on Wednesday amid a string of violent incidents targeting Kuki villagers.
Attacks and Abductions
The latest chain of events began early on March 11, when armed men allegedly linked to Tangkhul groups launched a predawn assault on Thowai Kuki village between about 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., according to local accounts. Kuki cultivators working in nearby fields reportedly came under gunfire during the attack. One villager sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was rushed to hospital.
Several jhum huts—temporary structures used in traditional shifting cultivation—were also set ablaze, dealing a blow to local livelihoods.
The Shangkai Village Authority condemned the attack, describing it as part of a continuing pattern of violence that has disrupted daily life in the hill areas.
Between roughly 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., two Kuki men ventured out to repair a damaged water pipeline when they were reportedly ambushed and abducted by the same armed group. Later that morning, another resident from Thowai Kuki village was injured in a separate firing incident.
Village authorities identified the abductions as the work of “Tangkhul volunteers” and appealed to the government to intervene quickly to locate the missing men and prevent further escalation.
Road Blockade and Detentions
Amid growing frustration over what villagers described as the absence of swift action by security forces, Kuki residents from Shangkai blocked the Ukhrul–Imphal highway (NH-202) between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. During the blockade, villagers detained about 20 Tangkhul passengers traveling in three vehicles, including a passenger van and two cars—one reportedly carrying members of a wedding party.
Community elders said the move was intended as leverage to secure the safe return of the abducted villagers, stressing that the detainees—including women and children—were not harmed.
Reports differed slightly on the number held, ranging between 19 and 21 people, but local sources confirmed that all were treated safely during the standoff.
Manipur Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh urged the immediate and unconditional release of the Tangkhul detainees. Some Kuki leaders, however, viewed the appeal as one-sided, noting the lack of official comment on the abduction of the two villagers.
@YKhemchandSingh the first Kuki victims abducted yesterday, which sparked the vicious cycle, has been found brutally murdered. Their wrists & ankles were bound, their heads smashed till they cave in & their eyes gouged out from the sockets.https://t.co/3FmglOflaU
— J Shakur (@JShakurB) March 12, 2026
Release Followed by Grim Discovery
Negotiations continued late into the night involving district authorities, civil society groups, and security forces. The detained Tangkhul passengers were eventually released unharmed at Litan Police Station around 4:00 a.m. on March 12 after a two-hour ultimatum issued by the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL).
Kuki leaders described the release as a gesture aimed at preventing further violence.
Hours later, however, search teams combing nearby forested areas reportedly discovered the bodies of the two abducted men a short distance apart. Social media posts from local residents alleged that the victims had been bound, tortured, and beaten to death.
Some online posts linked the killings to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Isak-Muivah, though authorities have not confirmed those claims. Tangkhul sources, meanwhile, described the violence as part of an escalating cycle of retaliation between communities.
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Security Alert
Security forces have since intensified patrols around Litan and nearby villages to prevent further clashes.
Local organizations on both sides have issued urgent appeals for protection and restraint. Kuki groups have warned of rising anger in the community, while Tangkhul organizations have also reported attacks on their villages and called for army intervention.
The latest killings underscore the fragile security situation in Manipur, where ethnic tensions involving the Meitei, Kuki-Zo, and Naga communities have repeatedly erupted since the violence that began in 2023.
Authorities said the situation remains tense, with officials closely monitoring developments to prevent retaliatory attacks.
