Kuki Inpi JTN has demanded an NIA probe into the attacks and given the government 24 hours to act, announcing a blockade and threatening an indefinite shutdown.
BY PC Bureau
September 13, 2026: At least four people from the Kuki community were reported killed in two separate attacks in Manipur’s Tamenglong and Noney districts on Sunday, according to local sources, turning Sahnit Ni, or Kuki Black Day, into a day of fresh grief and violence.
The day had begun with the pre-dawn attack at Tollen village in Tamenglong, where Lhingjangai Singsit was shot dead inside her home. Her husband, Seineh Singsit, and their six-year-old son were also wounded, while their two other sons escaped unharmed, according to Kuki Inpi Jiri, Tamenglong & Noney (JTN).
The attack took place around 4 a.m. in Tollen, a small Kuki settlement of about 54 households near National Highway 37, the Imphal-Jiribam corridor.
Villagers alleged that NSCN-IM cadres and Naga Village Guards were involved, but the allegations have not been independently verified.
Assam Rifles personnel from nearby Kaimai, a predominantly Naga village about three kilometres away, responded to the attack and helped evacuate the injured towards Jiribam. Additional security forces were deployed in the area.
Later in the afternoon, at around 3.20 p.m., local sources reported another attack at Longpi Kuki village in Noney district.
Two Kuki residents, identified as Thangvel Gangte and Julie Gangte of Sempat village, were reportedly killed in the second incident. Another woman was also reported missing.
The second attack, the identities of the reported victims and the missing-person claim had not been independently confirmed by police or major news organisations at the time of reporting.
The developments prompted a strong response from Kuki Inpi JTN, which condemned the Tollen attack and described it as an attempt to eliminate an entire family.
The organisation alleged that suspected Naga militants were behind the attack, but the allegation remains unverified.
Kuki Inpi JTN also questioned how the attackers could operate so close to security forces stationed in the area.
While saying it did not question the capabilities of the Central Security Forces, the organisation demanded clarification and accountability over the security arrangements at Tollen.
It has called for the Tollen case to be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for an impartial investigation and demanded permanent deployment of security personnel at the village.
The organisation has given the government 24 hours to initiate concrete action, failing which it has threatened an indefinite total shutdown.
As an immediate protest, it announced a 24-hour economic blockade.
Kuki Inpi JTN also said it would not accept the mortal remains of Lhingjangai Singsit for her funeral until justice was delivered.
The killings occurred on a date of deep significance for the Kuki community.
READ: Manipur: Kuki-Zo Woman Killed, Husband and Children Shot
Sahnit Ni commemorates September 13, 1993, when more than 100 Kuki civilians from Joupi, Zanglenphai and nearby villages were killed while fleeing after receiving quit notices in Tamenglong and the then Senapati district.
Kuki organisations observe the day in memory of those victims and the wider 1992-97 Kuki-Naga conflict. They say more than 1,000 Kukis were killed and hundreds of villages destroyed during the period.
Naga organisations reject the description of the conflict as a one-sided “genocide” and point to civilian losses on the Naga side.
The commemoration is traditionally marked by black flags, closed shops, prayers and silence.
This year, however, the reported killings have added fresh anguish to a day dedicated to remembering the violence of the 1990s.
The incidents also come amid renewed Kuki-Naga tensions in Tamenglong, Noney, Kangpokpi and adjoining hill areas, where killings, arson and displacement have continued to deepen mistrust between communities.
If the local tally of four deaths is confirmed, September 13 will have added another chapter of violence to a date already etched deeply in the Kuki community’s memory.
