Dimapur: A woman was killed and her husband and infant son injured after suspected militants opened fire at a home in Tollen Kuki village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district early Sunday, police and local sources said.
The incident took place around 4 am on September 13, when armed men reportedly opened fire at the village, located near NH-37, which connects Imphal with Jiribam.
The woman, identified as Lhingjangai Singsit by local sources and as Lhingngai by police, was killed at her residence. Her husband, Seineh Singsit, sustained gunshot injuries and is undergoing treatment, while their youngest son was also injured.
According to local sources, the couple’s three children were initially unaccounted for after the attack but were later traced. The youngest son suffered a gunshot wound to his arm, while a bullet was reportedly lodged in his buttocks.
Local residents alleged that suspected NSCN-IM cadres and Naga Village Guards were involved in the attack. The allegation could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate statement or claim of responsibility from any armed group.
Following the attack, security forces reached the village and provided medical assistance to the injured, police said.
The Kaimai Village Authority condemned the incident and called for an impartial investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. It described the attack as an attempt to create division among communities.
The incident occurred on September 13, observed by the Kuki community as Sahnit Ni, or Kuki Black Day, in memory of victims of the Kuki-Naga violence of the 1990s.
The day commemorates victims of the Joupi massacre on September 13, 1993, when scores of Kuki civilians were killed in parts of Tamenglong and the then Senapati district. Kuki groups have accused NSCN-IM cadres of involvement in the killings.
Tollen, also spelt Tolen, is a remote settlement in the Tousem area of Tamenglong West. Poor road connectivity and difficult terrain in the area can make access to medical care and emergency evacuation challenging.
The latest incident has raised concerns among residents over renewed violence in remote areas of Tamenglong, where sporadic firing and clashes have occurred amid continuing tensions between Kuki-Zo and Naga communities.