The shifting of Kuki-Zo patients from RIMS following the Sunurok killings comes amid a wider security crackdown in Manipur. A joint operation at the Sinai camp in Kangpokpi resulted in 17 arrests and the seizure of 24 firearms after security forces found only one registered cadre among an expected 150–159.
BY PC Bureau
October 2026 — Kuki-Zo patients admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal have been shifted to hospitals in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts amid fears of possible retaliation following the October 19 killing of three Meitei civilians in the Sunurok hills of Imphal East district, sources said.
The transfers followed an ambush near the Imphal East–Kangpokpi border that triggered protests in Imphal and renewed concerns over the safety of people from the Kuki-Zo community in the state capital.
Police said unidentified militants opened fire around 9.40 am on a group of about 14 Meitei villagers who had gone to collect and transport firewood. Three men — identified as Arubam Ronil, Lairenlakpam Inaobi and Kshetrimayum Sushil — were killed, while several others were injured.
The killings sparked protests in Imphal, with demonstrators placing the victims’ bodies outside the Chief Minister’s residence. Security forces subsequently launched combing operations in the surrounding areas.
Earlier hospital protests
The latest transfers recall a similar incident in June, when three injured Kuki-Zo youths were brought to RIMS after sustaining gunshot wounds in an exchange of fire in Kangpokpi district.
Their admission triggered sustained protests by Meitei and Naga groups outside the hospital. The youths were eventually shifted to Churachandpur under heavy security after midnight on June 17, with authorities citing the need to maintain order.
Since ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023, members of the Kuki-Zo community have largely stayed away from Imphal. In recent months, some had begun returning in small numbers for medical treatment and access to the airport, often under security escort.
The latest transfers underscore how fragile that limited movement remains as tensions rise following fresh violence.
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Sinai camp operation raises further questions
tSimilarly, the Kuki-Zo militants arrested the Sinai designated camp in Kangpokpi district were remanded in police custody at a CRPF facility in Kangpokpi rather than being transferred to Imphal. Sources described the decision as an “abundant precautionary measure.” Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh later visited the camp.
The SoO arrangement reportedly expired in early September and had not been renewed at the time of the operation. Reports that most of the expected cadres were absent from the camp have raised questions about the status of the designated camps and the monitoring of groups covered by the arrangement.
Security concerns deepen
The Sunurok killings and the subsequent movement of Kuki-Zo patients have highlighted the continuing insecurity and mistrust between Manipur’s valley and hill communities.
More than 325 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the violence began in May 2023, although estimates of the death toll vary.
Kuki-Zo organisations have condemned the killing of the three Meitei civilians and called for an investigation. Meitei groups, meanwhile, have demanded accountability and a review of the SoO framework.
Security forces continue search operations in the affected areas. But the shifting of patients between hospitals, driven by fears for their safety, illustrates the extent to which the conflict continues to shape everyday life, including access to medical care.
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