At least two village volunteers were killed and several civilians — including women and children — were injured after suspected armed militants launched a pre-dawn attack on the Kuki villages of Mullam and Shongphal in Ukhrul district, Manipur, on April 24, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) said. The rights body said the assault began at about 5:30 a.m., when attackers allegedly targeted sleeping residents, set houses on fire and opened indiscriminate fire.
KOHUR reported that two houses were torched and multiple villagers were wounded; the condition of the injured was not immediately known. The organisation said the attack constituted a serious escalation of violence along the Kuki-Naga periphery and described it as “premeditated” and part of a “continuing pattern of aggression.”
The trust alleged that two Kuki village volunteers on duty were “brutally killed” while attempting to defend their communities. According to KOHUR, villagers using licensed hunting weapons retaliated, repelled the attackers and one assailant was “neutralised.” These accounts of armed resistance and casualty figures come from KOHUR’s statement and have not been independently verified.
KOHUR demanded immediate registration of a first information report (FIR) and a time-bound probe, calling for the identification and arrest of those responsible and strict action under relevant criminal and anti-terror laws. The organisation also urged urgent deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to vulnerable villages to prevent further attacks.
In addition to security measures, KOHUR sought ex-gratia compensation and medical support for the injured, recognition and compensation for the families of the slain volunteers, and reconstruction and rehabilitation for households affected by arson. The trust urged the Manipur government, the Centre and Tangkhul civil bodies to issue unequivocal condemnation and to take steps to prevent recurrence.
Calling for accountability, KOHUR demanded an end to what it described as a culture of impunity enjoyed by armed groups operating under communal and ethnic banners in the state. The organisation appealed to the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Home Affairs, national and international human rights organisations, civil society and the media to take urgent cognisance of the attack and the alleged sustained targeting of Kuki-Zo indigenous people.
“Silence in the face of such repeated atrocities is untenable,” KOHUR said, urging swift and visible justice. The trust said it stands in solidarity with the bereaved families, the injured and the residents of Mullam and Shongphal, and paid tribute to the two volunteers who died defending their community.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/two-kuki-village-volunteers-killed-in-pre-dawn-attack-in-manipurs-ukhrul-probe-security-deployment-sought-1380702-2026-04-24?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-24 14:29:00
