IMPHAL, June 20: Tensions flared in Manipur on Thursday after an elderly Kuki-Zo woman was killed in crossfire during a security operation in Churachandpur district. The deceased, identified as Hoikholhing, wife of the Langchingmanbi village chief, was fatally shot amidst an exchange of fire between security forces and unknown armed assailants.
According to police reports, the operation was launched in Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and nearby areas following an incident earlier in the day, where a Meitei farmer sustained gunshot injuries while working in the fields in Bishnupur district. The shots were reportedly fired from the adjacent hill regions, prompting a coordinated search by combined security forces.
“During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire and retaliated. Unfortunately, amidst the exchange, the woman was found dead with a bullet wound,” said a police official. Her body was later taken to the Churachandpur District Hospital for post-mortem.
In the wake of the killing, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has declared a two-day total shutdown across the Sadar Hills region. The protest began at 1:00 pm Friday and will continue until 6:00 pm Saturday. The group condemned the killing as a “brutal and cold-blooded” act, alleging it was part of a wider campaign of “state-sponsored ethnic cleansing” targeting the Kuki-Zo community.
“This is not an isolated incident. The repeated failure to protect tribal civilians and violations of the Buffer Zone reflect a systemic breakdown in security and governance,” CoTU stated in a press release.
The organisation has demanded swift justice, immediate intervention from the Central Government, and an independent probe into alleged Buffer Zone breaches. CoTU also accused the state government of inaction, warning that continued negligence could escalate the already volatile situation.
