Imphal: Two youths and a woman were gunned down in Manipur by unidentified assailants in the last 24 hours, according to official sources.
The incidents have sparked outrage and raised concerns about the prevailing security situation in Manipur.
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The bodies of two missing youths, identified as Irengbam Chingkheinganba, 26, and Sagolshem Nganleiba, 33, were recovered near a pit in Leikinthabai village, located 17 km north of the state capital Imphal.
It is believed that the captors of the victims, who remain unidentified, shot them at close range before abandoning their bodies in the pit.
The victims hailed from Sekmaijin Khunou in the Kakching district of southern Manipur and had travelled to Sekmai village on July 4 for personal business engagements.
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The last contact with their family members was on Tuesday afternoon, according to reliable sources.
Hiyanglam police have confirmed that a missing person report was filed by the family members of the two men on July 5.
The distressing news of their killing was first brought to their attention through social media platforms.
In a separate incident, a 44-year-old woman named Donngaihching was fatally shot by unidentified miscreants near Shishu Nista Niketan School in Mayai Koibi, Imphal West district, on Thursday morning.
The motive behind the killing remains unclear, and investigations are underway.
The body of the deceased has been transferred to the mortuary of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal for post-mortem examination.
These recent acts of violence have added to the prevailing tensions in the region, which has witnessed ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis since May 3.
The ethnic violence has claimed the lives of over 150 people, including women and children while displacing approximately 60,000 people who have sought refuge in various relief camps.