Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: A woman was killed and her husband and infant son suffered gunshot wounds during an early-morning attack in Tollen Kuki village. The shooting occurred around 4 am on September 13 in the remote Tousem area of Manipur’s Tamenglong district, located near the NH-37 highway.
The deceased has been identified as Lhingjangai Singsit. Her husband, Seineh Singsit, remains in serious condition under medical care. The couple’s infant son was hit in the arm, and reports indicate a second bullet was lodged in his buttocks. Their three children were briefly missing following the assault before being traced by local residents.
No armed group has claimed responsibility. Local residents have alleged that cadres from the NSCN-IM and Naga Village Guards carried out the firing, though authorities have not independently verified these claims. Security forces eventually reached the remote location to provide assistance to the wounded.
The attack occurred on the anniversary of the 1993 Joupi massacre, a date observed annually by the Kuki community as Sahnit Ni, or Kuki Black Day. Kuki organizations have historically blamed NSCN-IM for the deaths that occurred during the 1990s violence.
The Kaimai Village Authority condemned the attack as a malicious act intended to sow discord between neighboring communities. They have demanded an impartial investigation into the incident. The authority released a statement urging calm: "We, the people of Kaimai Naga village, stand firmly for peace, unity, and communal harmony."
This region continues to suffer from poor infrastructure and difficult terrain, complicating emergency medical responses. Tensions between Kuki-Zo and Naga communities remain high, with sporadic clashes frequently reported along the Imphal-Tamenglong road.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 10:00pm
The violence on September 13 extended beyond Tollen village. Sources report a second, separate attack occurred at Longpi Kuki village in Noney district around 3:20 pm the same day, leaving two people dead. The victims were identified as Thangvel Gangte and Julie Gangte, both from Sempat village, with another woman reported missing in the aftermath of that assault.
The Kuki Youth Organisation Women's Council has since joined the calls for justice, demanding an impartial probe and stricter security measures for women and children in the region. The group highlighted the need for stronger intelligence to prevent future attacks on vulnerable civilians.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 1:48am
The death toll from the September 13 violence has risen to four. Seineh Singsit, who was initially reported in serious condition, later succumbed to his gunshot wounds at a hospital. His six-year-old son, Henminsang, remains under medical care for serious injuries sustained during the attack.
Community organizations, including the Committee on Tribal Unity and Kuki Inpi Jiri, Tamenglong and Noney, have implicated cadres from the Zeliangrong United Front-K (ZUF-K) alongside the NSCN-IM in both the Tollen and Longpi assaults. Kuki Inpi JTN leaders pointedly questioned the security failure, noting that the firing occurred just hundreds of metres from a Central security force deployment.
In a protest against the killings, Kuki Inpi JTN has issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the government to take concrete action, including transferring the investigation to the National Investigation Agency. The group has launched a 24-hour economic blockade and warned of an indefinite total shutdown if their demands are ignored. Family members have refused to accept the body of Lhingjangai Singsit for final funeral rites until their conditions for justice are met.
Saikul MLA Kimneo Hangshing condemned the violence, stating that no ideological grievance justifies targeting women and children. Tribal bodies continue to push for the immediate installation of permanent security personnel at Tollen and the surrounding vulnerable villages to prevent further bloodshed.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 9:48am
A separate attack unfolded at 3:20 pm on September 13 in Longpi Kuki village within Noney district. Thangvel Gangte and Julie Gangte, both residents of Sempat village, were ambushed while transporting rice and killed on the spot. Another villager remains missing following that incident. Local reports also link the Zeliangrong United Front-K (ZUF-K) to the violence alongside the NSCN-IM.
Violence spread further that evening when unidentified miscreants set fire to three or four homes belonging to the Rongmei Naga community in Khedaghar village, roughly 12 km south of Jiribam, at 6:30 pm. While security forces have intensified their monitoring of the Jiribam-Tamenglong-Noney corridor, the culprits behind the arson remain at large.
Tamei MLA and Naga leader Awangbow Newmai joined calls to reject the bloodshed and move toward restoring peace in the region.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 1:48pm
Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam vowed to hunt down the perpetrators, stating the government will pursue those responsible without fear or favor. He stressed that these attacks will not be allowed to derail the state path toward peace.
Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and a cohort of Kuki-Zo MLAs, including Haokholet Kipgen and Letzamang Haokip, broke their silence to condemn the killings as a heinous act of terror. The legislators confirmed that a second woman, identified as Nei Esther Gangte, was injured during the ambush at Longpi village.
The Committee on Tribal Unity and KSO Kaimai Block have officially named the ZUF-K as a primary aggressor alongside the NSCN-IM. These groups are now labeling the Tollen assault as a targeted attempt to terrorize and displace Kuki-Zo villagers from their ancestral lands. Beyond the immediate violence, the Kuki community observed the day with black flags and prayer services across Kangpokpi, linking the current bloodshed to unresolved grievances from the 1990s conflict.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 2:01pm
New details from the ground indicate that the victims at Longpi village were ambushed while transporting rice. A third villager, Nei Esther Gangte, sustained injuries during that specific attack. The violence also spilled over into the evening of September 13, when unknown arsonists torched three to four homes in Khedaghar village, roughly 12 kilometres south of Jiribam, targeting the Rongmei Naga community.
Kuki-Zo legislators, including Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and MLAs Haokholet Kipgen and Letzamang Haokip, have publicly condemned the killings. They flagged a pattern of violence, alleging that 22 Kuki-Zo civilians have been killed in clashes since March 10, 2026, when two people were abducted and murdered in Thawai Kuki. The lawmakers claim that during this period, Naga armed groups have attacked or torched at least 25 Kuki villages, displacing over 2,000 residents.
Representing the victims, family members and village authorities emphasized that the Tollen attack was not an isolated clash but a calculated attempt to drive the Kuki-Zo population off their ancestral land. As tensions mount, the Kuki Inpi Jiri, Tamenglong and Noney (JTN) warned that the government's failure to address their ultimatum would trigger an indefinite total shutdown across the region.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 6:01pm
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has explicitly called for a separate administration for the Kuki people, arguing it remains the only viable path to ensure the community’s security and long-term protection. CoTU also raised alarms regarding the involvement of armed factions that currently operate under ceasefire ground rules with the Indian government, warning that these attacks threaten to collapse the ongoing peace process.
Reports from the scene indicate that the minor victim, Henminsang Singsit, and his father were airlifted to Silchar Medical College Hospital for emergency care. Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Jiri, Tamenglong and Noney (JTN) stated they are refusing to accept the remains of the deceased for final rites until their demands for justice and a formal transfer of the case to the National Investigation Agency are met.
Church leaders have added to the community outcry, with executive Paogoumang noting that three Kuki pastors who actively advocated for peace have also been killed since the violence escalated in May 2023. He further stated that the community will continue to observe Sahnit Ni annually until the central government directly addresses the grievances originating from the 1990s conflict.
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