Violence flares up again in Manipur: Bodies of 6 Naga hostages found after 24-hour mega-operation, thousands of people take to the streets

Amidst all efforts for peace, a fierce fire of tension and violence has once again erupted in the northeastern state of Manipur. There has been an outcry in the entire state after the lifeless bodies of six Naga civilians, who were missing for the last several days, were recovered. As soon as this painful news came to light, massive protests have started in the valley and hill districts including Imphal, due to which the law and order situation has reached a very sensitive and critical point. Additional forces have been deployed at every nook and corner to keep law and order under control. A 24-hour intensive search operation was carried out with the help of 450 soldiers and sniffer dogs. On the basis of continuously received inputs and intelligence, about 450 brave soldiers of Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Assam Rifles jointly took up a big front. A very intensive and massive search operation was conducted for almost 24 hours in inaccessible hilly areas with the help of modern weapons, sniffer dogs and forensic expert teams. Ultimately the security forces achieved success on Wednesday afternoon, but it was very tragic; When the bodies of all the six Naga civilians who were missing were recovered. This bloody game of hostage taking started from that dark date of 13th May. The roots of this current dispute are linked to that dark date of 13th May 2026, when a violent clash took place between the militant groups of Kuki and Naga communities on the border of Kangpokpi and Senapati districts. During this period, more than 48 innocent people from both sides were taken hostage on the strength of weapons. The entire incident started when three prominent church leaders returning from Nagaland after attending a peace talks meeting were ambushed and brutally murdered in Kangpokpi area. Since this incident, swords had drawn between the two communities. The lives of these 6 Nagas were not saved even after the release of 14 Kuki hostages. After several rounds of talks to reduce the tension, on Tuesday, June 9, the Naga civil organizations showed a big heart and on humanitarian grounds, released the 14 Kuki hostages in their custody safely without any conditions. After this goodwill, United Naga Council (UNC) President N. Lohro had come before the media and expressed the hope that in return for his step, the Kuki organizations would also soon and safely release the six Naga men kept in their captivity. But the hopes were dashed the very next day when their dead bodies were found at the place of release. Crowds of women took to the streets, speed of vehicles slowed down due to economic blockade. As soon as the death of six Nagas was confirmed, thousands of angry women took to the streets under the banner of ‘Koubro Range Liangmei Mahila Sangh’. Taking immediate action, the protesters completely blocked National Highway-2 near Namdilong village gate and sat on strike. The protesting women directly targeted both the Biren Singh government of the state and the central government, alleging that no concrete or effective steps were taken by the administration to safely release the hostages in time. Since this kidnapping incident, due to the economic blockade imposed by both Kuki and Naga groups on the national highways, the supply of essential goods has come to a standstill and the traffic has been completely disrupted. Manipur has been burning for three years, after the removal of President’s rule, the situation has worsened again. Let us tell you that the state of Manipur has been facing the terrible tragedy of caste violence for more than three years. So far, at least 200 innocent people have lost their lives in this fire that started on May 3, 2023, while more than 60,000 people have been rendered homeless and forced to live in relief camps. During this long period, thousands of houses, business establishments, entire villages and religious places have been set on fire by miscreants. In view of the continuously deteriorating situation of the state, the Central Government had also imposed President’s Rule here in the year 2025, which was removed in February 2026 with the hope of improvement in the situation; But this latest incident has once again opened old wounds.