Thirty-one Kuki and Naga civilians abducted earlier this week in Manipur’s Kangpokpi and Senapati districts were released on Friday, officials said. The kidnapping followed an armed ambush on May 13 at Zero Point between Kotlen and Kotzim Inter Village Road, which left three dead and four injured. Authorities said civilians from multiple communities were detained near Leilon Vaiphei and Saparmeina villages and in Senapati. Police say investigations continue, and efforts are ongoing to free those still held, with at least six Naga men untraceable.
More than 38 Kuki and Naga civilians are reportedly held captive in different parts of Manipur as fresh ethnic violence escalates. The United Naga Council claims 20 people are being held hostage in Leilon Veiphei in Senapati district, alleging abductors came from the same area. Manipur’s home minister says the state has informed the Union Home Ministry via the Intelligence Bureau and is working with civil society and political leaders. Separately, three Kuki individuals were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi, with the probe slated for NIA or another central agency.
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Tension flared in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district when a state-wide shutdown called by the United Naga Council to protest killings of two Naga individuals turned violent. Tangkhul Naga youth enforcing the shutdown confronted Kuki community members trying to clear the road, escalating into chaos, physical altercations, and reports of gunfire.
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