Helicopters, drones, sniffer dogs, CoBRA personnel and a detailed ADGP briefing followed the Sunurok ambush; recent killings of tribal civilians have raised questions about consistency, transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Manipur Police.
BY PC Bureau
October 20, 2026: Three Meitei men were shot dead while collecting firewood at Sunurok Hill on Monday. Manipur Police responded with a detailed press briefing, helicopter surveillance, drones, sniffer dogs and joint operations involving state police and central forces. Two suspects have already been nabbed.
The swift and high-profile response to the deadly Sunurok Hill ambush raises an uncomfortable question: Why have the killings of Naga and Kuki-Zo civilians not received the same level of public attention and communication from Manipur Police?
In the past six months, more than 60 people from Naga and Kuki-Zo communities have been killed in violence across Kangpokpi, Ukhrul and Kamjong districts. More than 100 houses have also been burnt. Some attacks involved ambushes and mutilation. In other cases, families were left searching for missing relatives or their remains.
The Manipur Police and security forces did swing into action, but public updates have often been sparse. Detailed briefings and clear accounts of investigative progress have been rare. Helicopters and sniffer dogs were never deployed, and those responsible were rarely arrested. Most of those arrested were suspected Kuki militants, while Naga militants largely remained beyond the reach of the law.
The contrast has fuelled a charge of unequal treatment: that the police respond with greater urgency and visibility when Meiteis are killed than when the victims are tribal civilians.
On 19.10. 2026 morning, suspected armed militants opened fire to Meitei firewood collectors numbering about 14 villagers at Khongbal Tangkhul, under Sagolmang PS, Kangpokpi District, in which three Meitei villagers succumbed to bullet injuries and four other villagers were injured. The injured have been evacuated and further undergoing medical treatment.
Manipur Police, in close coordination with the CRPF, BSF, Army, Assam Rifles and other sister security agencies, is working continuously to maintain law and order, prevent further escalation and ensure the safety and security of the public. Intensified action will be taken against all inimical elements involved in these incidents. All necessary legal and operational measures will be pursued to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
Manipur Police urges all sections of society to cooperate with the security forces and the administration in maintaining peace and preventing further violence.
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) October 19, 2026
A Full-Scale Response to the Sunurok Attack
At around 9.40 am on October 19, unidentified gunmen opened fire on about 14 Meitei villagers collecting firewood at Sunurok Hill, near Khongbal Tangkhul, under Sagolmang police station. The area lies between Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts.
Three men — Arubam Ronil, Lairenlakpam Inaobi and Kshetrimayum Sushil — died of gunshot wounds. Three others were reported injured.
The killings sparked protests in Imphal. Demonstrators placed two bodies near Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s residence. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo then briefed the media on the attack and the response.
Joint teams of Manipur Police, CoBRA, CRPF, BSF and Assam Rifles were deployed. Helicopters and drones were used for surveillance, while sniffer dogs joined the search. Police also set up mobile checkposts and joint nakas.
Lhatoo said efforts were under way to identify and arrest the attackers. The police issued a statement on the killings, and the chief minister condemned the attack and called for tighter security.
The response was extensive. The question now is whether it will lead to arrests and a clear account of who carried out the attack.
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Manipur has witnessed 72 hours of bloodshed.
Civilians killed. Homes burnt. Villagers ambushed. CRPF personnel wounded.
And now, the Assam Rifles are being blamed! Even DGP Has given a Statement but still Local Politicians are making wild accusations!!
The same Assam Rifles that reportedly rescued wounded villagers, treated the injured, sheltered displaced families and helped restore order.
Allegations are easy. Evidence matters.
When different communities accuse the same force of favouring the other side, the answer is an impartial investigation—not a trial by accusation.
The real enemy is the gunman killing innocent Indians and the armed networks sustaining this violence.
Meitei, Kuki, Naga, Pangal or Nepali—every Indian deserves protection.
Investigate every allegation. Punish the killers. Stand by soldiers doing their duty.The Sentinels of the North East deserve fairness, not scapegoating.
Jai Hind. 🇮🇳
— Aadi Achint 🇮🇳 (@AadiAchint) October 19, 2026
Naga Killings: Families Had to Demand Action
On October 10, a series of attacks across Manipur’s hill districts left several Naga and Kuki civilians dead.
Three Naga men were killed at Makui Ashang, a Liangmai Naga village in Kangpokpi district. One victim, Ajinbou Ringkamai, was reportedly beheaded. Another, Dibambou Ringkamai, suffered severe facial injuries, according to reports.
In a separate ambush along the Imphal–Tamenglong road, Naga village volunteer Machungwangbou was killed and two others were injured.
The wider outbreak of violence claimed nine lives across three districts within 24 hours. At least 14 houses belonging to Naga and Kuki families were also burnt, according to reports citing police officials.
The handling of Ajinbou’s remains became a source of anger. His head was missing when his body was recovered. The Joint Tribes Council Manipur gave the state and central governments 48 hours to find and return it so that the family could perform the last rites.
The remains were eventually recovered by a joint team of CRPF personnel and Manipur Police near the site of the attack.
But the question remains: why did the family and community have to issue an ultimatum?
The recovery was an important step. Yet the delay added to the distress of a family already dealing with a brutal killing. For many Nagas, the episode reinforced doubts about the state’s response to violence against tribal civilians.
Kuki-Zo Woman Killed
On October 15, Hatneikim Haokip was shot dead in an alleged ambush between Molnoi and Phaikoh in Kamjong district. She was travelling with her husband, Jangkhongam Haokip, and another couple. Her husband was injured, while D. Paokhothang Haokip and Boishi Haokip were reported missing.
The attack came amid rising tensions between Naga and Kuki-Zo groups. The identity of the attackers has not been conclusively established.
Kuki-Zo organisations condemned the killing and called for action to trace the missing civilians and arrest those responsible. Security personnel and villagers took part in search efforts.
Another attack followed on October 17 in Kamjong. A Kuki-Zo man was killed and four others were injured in suspected clashes involving Kuki and Naga armed groups. Police said Assam Rifles, BSF and district police personnel had been deployed to restore order.
Yet these incidents did not receive comparable coverage on the Manipur Police account on X, based on a review of its public updates. The contrast with the detailed communication following the Sunurok attack is striking.
Why should the public receive a detailed account of one attack but little or no comparable information about others in which Naga and Kuki-Zo civilians are killed?
The issue is not whether police conducted operations behind the scenes. It is whether the force informs the public with the same urgency and gives families the same assurance that their cases matter.
