Manipur: Five Kuki men killed in 24 hours

Five Kuki men died within a 24-hour period in Manipur. Three were killed on Saturday during fresh gunfire between unidentified armed groups in Noney district. Two more Kuki civilians, who had disappeared from Taphou Kuki village on Wednesday, were found dead on Sunday. The deaths show that both armed clashes and disappearances are affecting Kuki communities.

Police identified the three men killed in Noney as Thanglensang Singson, Thangkhosei Haokip and Lamminsang Kipgen. All were from Churachandpur district. The Kuki Inpi Manipur said they were village volunteers. The other two victims were described as Kuki civilians, but the article does not name them.

The killings raised the toll in clashes between Naga and Kuki groups since February to 68. They also occurred as protests demanded that the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki-Zo armed groups be scrapped. The deaths underline the continuing risks for civilians and community volunteers amid rising tensions.

Manipur’s ethnic violence has caused a large human toll since it began in May 2023. The Assembly was told in September that at least 306 people had been killed and 49 were missing. About 60,000 people were displaced. These figures cover the broader violence in the state, not only the newer Naga-Kuki clashes.

The displacement crisis also remains unresolved. About 36,000 displaced people had been resettled, according to the figures provided to the Assembly. Another 24,000 remained in relief camps across Manipur. This means thousands were still unable to return to stable homes even after some resettlement had taken place.

The latest killings added to the continuing insecurity. The deaths brought the toll in clashes between Naga and Kuki groups since February to 68. Together, the figures show both the scale of the original ethnic conflict and the persistence of later violence involving Naga and Kuki communities.

The Suspension of Operations agreement is a framework intended to halt operations by security forces and participating Kuki-Zo militant groups. It was signed in 2008, creating rules for how the sides should behave while the arrangement remains in force. Its continuation matters because it places formal limits on armed activity during a period of severe ethnic tension.

The signatories were the Centre, the Manipur government, and two conglomerates of Kuki militant outfits. Those conglomerates were the Kuki National Organisation and the United Peoples Front. The agreement was renewed in September 2025, according to the article.

The pact is now politically contested. Meitei organisations held a rally demanding its scrapping, and Naga civil society organisations backed similar demands in several hill districts. Their calls came amid accusations that Kuki-Zo militant groups were involved in violence. The agreement’s future therefore has direct implications for security rules and tensions between communities.

The Suspension of Operations agreement imposes mutual limits on armed activity. Security forces and the Kuki-Zo militant groups covered by the pact are prohibited from launching operations. This rule is important because it is designed to prevent the agreement’s participants from using force against one another while the arrangement continues.

The militant groups also have additional obligations. They must abide by the laws of the land. They must remain in designated camps identified by the Union government. These camp and conduct requirements create a mechanism for restricting where the groups operate and how they behave.

The agreement was renewed in September 2025, but its rules are now under pressure. Meitei and Naga organisations are demanding that it be terminated. Their protests took place as violence continued and the article reported a toll of 68 in Naga-Kuki clashes since February. Any dispute over compliance or continuation affects the safeguards around armed activity.

Meitei organisations and Naga civil society groups are demanding that the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki-Zo armed groups end. Their demands matter because the agreement limits operations by security forces and militant groups, while opponents believe it has not prevented violence. Thousands joined a rally in Imphal, and Naga organisations held supporting rallies in several hill districts.

The article gives a specific reason for the Naga organisations’ position. They accused Kuki-Zo militant groups of being involved in violence. The demands came after tensions between Kuki and Naga communities escalated from February. The latest deaths brought the toll in clashes between Naga and Kuki groups since February to 68.

The article does not give a separate detailed explanation from the Meitei organisations beyond their demand to scrap the agreement. Their rally occurred as three Kuki men were killed and two Kuki civilians were found dead. The dispute therefore combines political opposition to the pact with continuing fears about violence and security.

The ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 left Manipur deeply divided and insecure. They involved the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities. At least 306 people were killed, 49 went missing and about 60,000 were displaced. These losses created lasting fear and weakened normal community relations across the state.

The article shows how that broader crisis connects to current violence. Although the later clashes involve Naga and Kuki groups, they unfolded in a state already dealing with deaths, displacement and relief camps. Tensions between Kuki and Naga communities escalated from February. Since then, clashes between those groups have caused 68 deaths, according to the article.

The latest killings occurred alongside demands to end the Suspension of Operations agreement. Meitei and Naga organisations accuse Kuki-Zo armed groups of involvement in violence. Thus, the unresolved consequences of the 2023 conflict, combined with new Naga-Kuki tensions and political disputes over the agreement, have created conditions for continued insecurity.

A ceasefire agreement creates rules that can restrain armed actors and reduce the risk of direct attacks. If it is weakened or ends while communities still distrust one another, those restraints may disappear. Armed groups may operate more freely, and civilians can face greater danger, displacement and difficulty accessing protection. This is a general consequence of losing agreed limits on violence.

The Suspension of Operations agreement bars security forces and militant groups from launching operations. It also requires Kuki-Zo militant groups to obey the law and stay in designated camps. If those mechanisms no longer hold, armed activity could become harder to control. The article’s reported deaths and disappearances illustrate the danger already facing civilians.

Manipur has recorded at least 306 deaths, 49 missing people and about 60,000 displaced since May 2023. Two Kuki civilians were recently found dead after going missing. The article does not predict what will happen if the agreement ends, but continued distrust and violence would leave civilians especially vulnerable.