Imphal: The death toll from the September 13 ambush at Longpi village in Manipur’s Noney district rose to three after a 21-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries on Sunday.
Nei Esther Gangte died at the District Hospital in Churachandpur after battling multiple bullet wounds for a week.
Local sources revealed that following the attack, villagers had to carry the critically injured woman for nearly 20 kilometres on a makeshift palanquin to access medical care.
The ambush had already claimed the lives of two other villagers, Thangvel Gangte and Julie Singson, who was reportedly two months pregnant. The victims were reportedly travelling to purchase rice when they were fired upon.
While official reports attribute the attack to unidentified armed men, several Kuki-Zo community organisations, including the Kuki Inpi (Jiribam, Tamenglong, and Noney), have alleged the involvement of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K cadres.
Condemning the incident as the Longpi “massacre,” these groups stated that the latest casualty brings the year’s death toll of Kuki-Zo individuals attributed to these factions to 27, including two unborn children.
Community leaders have urged the Government of India to apprehend the perpetrators, ensure justice for the affected families, and deploy stronger security measures to protect civilians in vulnerable regional villages.