- Three church leaders were shot dead in an ambush in Manipur's Kangpokpi district
- At least five others were injured and are receiving medical treatment after the attack
- A blockade was imposed on National Highway-2, disrupting connectivity in the region
At least three people were shot dead and several others injured after unidentified armed men ambushed their vehicles in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Wednesday, triggering an immediate blockade along National Highway-2 and heightened tension in the region.
The victims were three church leaders belonging to the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA), including former Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) General Secretary Rev. V Sitlhou. The two others were identified as Rev. V Kaigoulun and Pastor Paogoulen.
Sources said at least five others were injured in the attack and are currently undergoing treatment. The injured include Rev. SM Haopu, Rev. Hekai Simte, Rev. Paothang, Lelen (driver), and Goumang (driver).
According to reports, the victims were travelling in two vehicles and were returning to Kangpokpi from Churachandpur district after attending a TBA Conference in Lamka when they were attacked midway.
Following the incident, an immediate blockade was imposed along National Highway-2 (NH-2), a crucial lifeline connecting Manipur with Nagaland and the rest of the country. Tension also spread across Kangpokpi and adjoining Kuki-Zo inhabited areas.
Thadou leader and Manipur BJP spokesperson Michael Lamjathang Thadou expressed grief over the killing of church leaders and said the Thadou community is separate and not part of the Kuki group. He added that the community has suffered a lot due to being wrongly identified during the ongoing violence in Manipur.
The Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Churachandpur District, announced an emergency indefinite shutdown from 12:30 pm on Wednesday, condemning what it described as a "heinous ambush and brutal killing of innocent TBA Church leaders."
The organisation alleged a failure on the part of state law enforcement agencies to curb the activities of armed groups and appealed to the public and organisations to cooperate during the shutdown. Medical emergencies, press and media, electricity services, and religious ceremonies have been exempted from the blockade.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a "cowardly and barbaric ambush" on Kuki-Zo church leaders and civilians.
KIM said that Rev. V Sitlhou had recently participated in peace initiatives with the Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) in Kohima aimed at fostering reconciliation and mutual understanding between communities. The organisation termed the killing of unarmed church leaders a direct assault on ongoing peace and dialogue efforts and urged the Government of India to conduct a thorough investigation and bring those responsible to justice.
