Manipur: Kuki-Zo Woman Killed, Husband Injured in Alleged Ambush in Kamjong; Two Missing; Severed Head of Naga Man Recovered in Kangpokpi
A Kuki-Zo woman was killed and her husband injured in an alleged ambush in Kamjong district, while two other civilians remain missing. The incident followed the recovery of a Naga man's severed head in Kangpokpi, amid continuing Kuki-Naga tensions.
IMPHAL- A Kuki-Zo woman was killed and her husband injured in an alleged ambush by suspected Naga militants in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Thursday, while two other civilians from the community remain missing. The incident came hours after security forces recovered the severed head of a Naga man killed in an earlier attack in Kangpokpi district.
The deceased has been identified as Hatneikim Haokip from Molnoi village, wife of Jangkhongam Haokip. According to preliminary reports and civil society accounts, four civilians travelling on two two-wheelers to Phaikoh to buy essential commodities were targeted between 4 pm and 5 pm on the road between Molnoi/Phaikoh and Aishu. Hatneikim reportedly died at the spot.
Her husband sustained bullet injuries but managed to escape. The other two travellers — D. Paokhothang Haokip and his wife Boishi Haokip of Chassad village — remain missing.
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A senior police officer confirmed that four civilians were ambushed by suspected NSCN-IM militants in Kamjong district. Police officers stated the incident occurred around 4 pm in the jungle between Phaikoh and Mulvailup. Local Kuki bodies claimed the woman was killed during crossfire while her husband escaped.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) issued a press statement condemning the attack and accusing the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) of responsibility. It identified the victims, urged the state and Central governments to take immediate steps to ensure civilian safety, locate the two missing persons, and bring those responsible to justice.
The organisation also called for an operation to apprehend those involved. The allegation against NSCN-IM has not been independently verified, and police had not issued a detailed formal statement beyond confirming the basic facts of the incident at the time of early reports.
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Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam, speaking in Imphal on Thursday while visiting BSF personnel hospitalised for suspected food poisoning, said government efforts and security measures alone could not end the violence. “When the general people do not have humanity, then nobody can stop killing each other. We should understand that,” he said. “Killing will never solve any problem. We should talk to each other, and all differences should be resolved through dialogue.”
Preceding Incident – Recovery of Severed Head
Late on Wednesday night, a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur Police recovered the severed head of Naga man Ajinbou Ringkamai in an isolated area near the site of an October 10 attack in Kangpokpi district.
He was one of four Naga men killed when suspected Kuki militants attacked Makui Ashang village. His head had been severed and remained missing; the headless body was taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal on October 11. The head was brought to JNIMS on Thursday morning for autopsy.
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The recovery followed a non-negotiable 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTC/WC-JTC), a Naga organisation representing communities including the Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme.
In its earlier statement, the council had said: “The head of Ajinbou R remains missing. Post-mortem will not be conducted till his head is returned to his family members for a dignified burial. We will not allow state machinery to mutilate the remains further while his head is treated as a trophy by militants.” It described the act as “an affront to humanity” and held the state and Central governments responsible.
After the recovery, the Liangmai Students’ Union confirmed that the autopsy began around 11 am on Thursday, with funerals planned for Friday. However, the JTC stated that its agitation would continue until the arrest of individuals it named — Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Sailen Haokip.
The latest killings form part of ongoing Kuki-Naga clashes that began in February 2026. Reports indicate that at least 22 Naga and 32 Kuki-Zo people have been killed since the violence started, with Thursday’s attack raising the number of Kuki-Zo women killed in these clashes to 10. Authorities continue to monitor the hill districts amid repeated appeals for dialogue and restraint.
