The questionWho is behind the killings in Manipur's hills, and should the Centre end or keep its ceasefire pact with Kuki-Zo armed groups?
How we got here
Manipur has seen ethnic violence since 3 May 2023, first between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Human Rights Watch says that phase caused more than 260 deaths and displaced over 60,000 people. In February 2026, after a spell of President's Rule, a BJP-led government under Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh took office. On 7 February a Tangkhul Naga man was assaulted at Litan Sareikhong in Ukhrul district, and clashes between Kuki-Zo and Naga groups spread across the hill districts. On 13 May three Kuki church leaders were shot dead in an ambush; abductions followed, and the bodies of six Naga men were found on 10 June. The United Naga Council (UNC) then blockaded national highways from 11 June. At the centre of the dispute is the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact, a 2008 ceasefire under which Kuki-Zo armed groups are meant to stay in government camps with their weapons locked while political talks continue. Naga and Meitei groups want it scrapped; Kuki-Zo bodies want it kept. Death tallies differ by source.
Where each side stands
The UNC blames Kuki armed groups, including SoO signatories KNF(P) and KRA, for attacks on Naga civilians, and the Tangkhul Naga Long blames the Myanmar-based KNA-B for border killings. They demand that the SoO pact be revoked, that Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen be removed, and justice for six Naga men killed in May. They say the state government and the Assam Rifles have failed to protect border villages.
The Hindu · ThePrint (PTI)The Kuki-Zo Council blames Naga armed groups, naming NSCN-IM and ZUF(K), and says 30 Kuki-Zo civilians have been killed by them. It demands impartial probes and says the NSCN-IM's own ceasefire should be reviewed by the same standards as the SoO. Kuki Inpi Manipur says the SoO is the main channel for political talks and that violations should go to its joint monitoring group. Kuki groups deny the attacks blamed on them, NDTV reported.
ETV Bharat · NEWire · NDTVChief Minister Khemchand Singh points to restored bus services and goods traffic on NH-2 and NH-37; Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured all possible help on 10 October. Government sources told The Hindu the SoO pact is in abeyance until Kuki-Zo groups surrender all weapons. Police say several allegations are still under investigation.
The Indian Express · The Hindu · The Times of IndiaManipur Congress president Okram Ibobi Singh accused the BJP-led state and central governments of being "silent spectators" to civilian killings and questioned security along the Myanmar border. Human Rights Watch said the state government had taken inadequate measures to end the violence and protect both communities.
The Times of India · Human Rights WatchThe timeline
Kuki-Zo woman killed and a couple missing after ambush on villagers in Manipur's Kamjong district
One Kuki-Zo woman was killed, her husband injured and a couple missing after an ambush in Kamjong on 15 October.
Nine killed and 14 houses burned in 24 hours across Manipur's Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts
At least nine people were killed in separate attacks over 24 hours from the night of 9 October, per media tallies.
Centre yet to renew ceasefire pact with Kuki-Zo armed groups a month after it expired
The SoO pact with Kuki-Zo groups expired on 4 September 2026 and had not been renewed by 2 October.
Naga council suspends Manipur highway blockade after first tripartite talks with Centre and state
The UNC lifted its highway blockade from 6 pm on 26 September, calling the move temporary.
Four Tangkhul Nagas killed at Pilong near Myanmar border; Myanmar-based Kuki group denies role
Four Tangkhul Naga men were killed at Pilong, a Kamjong village on the Myanmar border, on 24 September.
Three Kuki villagers killed near IT Road in Kangpokpi, four days after ambush on Naga civilians nearby
Three Kuki-Zo villagers, including two women, were killed and four injured at N. Teikhang on 31 August.
Four Liangmai Naga civilians killed in ambush on a village road in Manipur's Kangpokpi district
Four Liangmai Naga civilians were killed and one injured on 27 August near Makui Ashang, per officials quoted by PTI.
What we still don't know
- ?Who carried out most of the attacks: NDTV reports no official inquiry has established responsibility, and each side blames the other's armed groups.
- ?Whether the Centre will renew, rewrite or end the SoO pact with Kuki-Zo groups.
- ?Whether the UNC's demands will be met or its highway blockade will resume.
- ?How many people have died: tallies from ACLED, Human Rights Watch, police and newspapers differ.
Sources
10 outlets across the spectrum. Leanings are a rough guide to who reported it, not a verdict on accuracy.
- NDTVKuki-Naga Clashes Shift Manipur Violence To New Hill Districts
- Human Rights WatchIndia: Renewed Ethnic Violence in Manipur
- The HinduMHA yet to extend Suspension of Operations pact with Kuki-Zo groups a month after expiry
- The HinduManipur Naga body decides to lift highway blockades
- The Indian Express9 killed, houses set ablaze in fresh Manipur violence; PM Modi assures help to restore peace
- The Times of India2 more Naga men killed as ethnic violence flares up in Manipur again
Show all 12 sources
- ETV BharatKuki-Zo Council Condemns Killing Of Woman In Manipur Ambush; Calls For Impartial Probe
- NEWireKuki Inpi Manipur Defends Suspension of Operations Pact
- The TribuneHome Minister Amit Shah likely to visit Manipur on October 7
- News18Denied A 'Hindu Vs Christian' Button, Media Mute Manipur's Kuki-Naga Conflict
- The HinduAlleged Myanmar-based extremists kill four Nagas in Manipur
- ThePrint (PTI)Bodies of four Naga civilians killed in Manipur ambush retrieved