A woman farmer from the Kuki community was killed in an exchange of fire between armed groups in Manipur’s Taphou area. The incident has triggered fresh tension along the Senapati-Kangpokpi border.
BY PC BUREAU
November 12 — A woman farmer from the Kuki community was killed in firing allegedly opened by cadres of the NSCN (I-M) in Manipur’s Taphou area, triggering fresh tension along the Senapati-Kangpokpi border and prompting local advisories against non-essential travel on National Highway-2 (NH-2).
The woman was working in a paddy field when she was caught in an exchange of fire between Kuki and Naga armed groups. She sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to them, local sources said.
Local sources alleged that NSCN (I-M) cadres opened fire. They identified the NSCN (I-M) and the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF-Kamson) as the two Naga armed groups active in the area. The sources further alleged that the two groups had repeatedly targeted Kuki civilians, claiming that more than three dozen people from the community had been killed in such attacks over the past six months.
The latest violence has heightened security concerns in the area, where residents have been advised to avoid non-essential movement along the affected stretch of NH-2. The highway connects Imphal with Nagaland and is a crucial route for the movement of people and essential supplies.
The exact sequence of the exchange of fire, the identities of those involved and the circumstances leading to the woman’s death were not immediately available .Kuki-Zo social media users have pinned the blame on NSC (I-M) for the killing. The pattern of violence of the past in the region also point to the involvement of Naga militant groups.
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#Manipur
1 more Kuki woman k!lled by secessionist NSCN-IM terr0rists today while working on her field. Another man has been seriously injured.
If your DCM post isn’t saving lives, what’s the use @KipgenNemcha @haokholet_k?
@crpfindia as usual, failed to fire a single shot. https://t.co/Nt375SlSsN— David 𝐊𝐮𝐤𝐢 (@KipsKuki) November 12, 2026
However, a competing account of the incident has emerged. It said that Kuki armed men first attacked the Naga positions before being pursued. It said that the Kuki woman was caught in the crossfire.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions following the abduction and killing of two Kuki youths from Taphou Kuki village.
Paoginlal Hangsing and Tinginlun Chongloi, both around 20, went missing on October 28. Their bodies were recovered on November 1 from a forested area along the Senapati-Phaibung Road, approximately 14 km east of NH-2.
Manipur Police said the two men had been abducted before being killed. Investigators have examined witnesses, questioned several people and collected intelligence and technical evidence to identify those suspected of involvement.
The state government has moved to transfer the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh also visited the bereaved families on November 9 and assured them that those responsible would be brought to justice.
NH-2 remains a sensitive corridor
The latest incident has renewed concerns over civilian movement along NH-2, particularly through the sensitive border areas between Senapati and Kangpokpi districts.
The highway has witnessed repeated disruptions during periods of ethnic tension and violence in Manipur. Security forces have been deployed in vulnerable locations, while movement of essential goods vehicles has been subject to security arrangements.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a Kuki tribal organisation based in Kangpokpi, has also announced sit-in protests in different locations, demanding justice for the two youths killed after their disappearance.
The fresh firing and the death of the woman farmer have added to fears of further escalation in an already volatile region.
Residents and commuters have been urged to exercise caution and follow local security advisories.
