Manipur hostage crisis: 20 Naga-Kuki captives sought in Kangpokpi ops
Synopsis
Twenty Naga and Kuki community members remain in captivity in Manipur's Kangpokpi and Senapati districts as joint security forces press on with search operations. The crisis stems from 13 May violence that killed three church leaders — and with the NIA now involved and a total shutdown still in force, the situation carries serious escalation risk.
Key Takeaways
20 Naga and Kuki community members remain held hostage as of 26 May , down from an initial 50 following releases on 14–15 May .
Joint teams of CAPF , CRPF , Assam Rifles , and Manipur Police are conducting intensive search operations in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts.
Four suspects — Thangkhomang Khongsai , Seikholet Khongsai , Lunminthang Dimngel , and Kamgoulal Khongsai — were apprehended on Monday and are being probed for the abduction of six Naga individuals.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the cases linked to the 13 May killings of three Baptist Church leaders and the abduction of six Naga villagers from Konsakhul village .
Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) has enforced a total shutdown in Kuki-Zo areas since midnight of 13 May , severely disrupting normal life in Kangpokpi district .
Central and state security forces on Tuesday, 26 May pressed ahead with large-scale joint search operations across Kangpokpi, Senapati, and adjoining districts of Manipur, working to locate and rescue 20 Naga and Kuki community members still held captive by armed groups, according to officials. The operations are part of an ongoing effort that began after a wave of violence on 13 May left three church leaders dead and triggered a hostage crisis involving at least 50 people from both communities.
Search Operations on the Ground
Intensive combing operations are being conducted by joint teams of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Manipur Police in the mountainous terrain surrounding Leilon Vaiphei village, Songtun village, Khunkho village, and P. Molding village in Kangpokpi district. Parallel operations are underway across Senapati and neighbouring districts to trace the remaining missing persons.
A senior police official confirmed that around 30 people from both communities had already been freed on 14 and 15 May through sustained efforts involving authorities, community leaders, and civil society organisations (CSOs). The remaining 20 are still unaccounted for.
Four Suspects Apprehended
In an operation conducted on Monday, joint teams of Manipur Police, CRPF, and Assam Rifles detained four individuals along the inter-village road between P. Molding and Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi district. The four were identified as Thangkhomang Khongsai (51), Seikholet Khongsai (40), Lunminthang Dimngel (27), and Kamgoulal Khongsai (30).
Officials said the four are suspected to be active cadres of armed village volunteer groups and are allegedly linked to extortion, criminal intimidation, and illegal possession of arms and ammunition. Their suspected role in the abduction of six Naga individuals is also being probed, the official added.
NIA Handed the May 13 Cases
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has confirmed that cases related to the abduction of six Naga villagers from Konsakhul village in Kangpokpi district and the killing of three church leaders on 13 May have been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough investigation.
During a meeting with a delegation of the United Naga Council (UNC), Chief Minister Singh said rescue operations have been running continuously since 14 May. He also appealed to the UNC to cooperate in securing the release of 14 Kuki civilians reportedly still in captivity since the May 13 violence, while urging the Kuki community to assist in tracing the missing Naga villagers.
Shutdown and Ongoing Tensions
Tension has continued to grip the hill districts, with both Naga and Kuki-Zo communities separately agitating over the violence. Normal life remains severely disrupted across Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, particularly in Kangpokpi district, after the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) — one of the apex bodies of the Kuki tribal community — enforced a total shutdown from midnight of 13 May following the killing of three Baptist Church leaders and injuries to four others.
This comes amid Manipur's broader ethnic fault lines, which have periodically flared since the violence of May 2023. The current hostage crisis, involving members of both the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, signals a dangerous new dimension to the conflict. Chief Minister Singh has appealed to all communities to support the government's peace efforts as authorities work to restore normalcy in the affected areas.
Point of View
Now mutating into a cross-community abduction cycle that implicates both Naga and Kuki-Zo armed groups. Handing the cases to the NIA signals that the state administration recognises its own limitations, but agency involvement alone will not address the structural grievances driving the violence. What is notably absent from the official narrative is any accountability framework for the armed village volunteer groups, whose proliferation has been tacitly tolerated for years. Until the Centre moves beyond crisis management to a credible disarmament and dialogue process, each fresh flashpoint risks pulling more communities into a spiral that the security forces alone cannot break.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are still being held hostage in Manipur?
As of 26 May, 20 Naga and Kuki community members remain in captivity, according to officials. Of the approximately 50 people initially held following the 13 May violence, around 30 were released on 14 and 15 May through efforts by authorities and civil society organisations.
What triggered the hostage crisis in Kangpokpi and Senapati?
The crisis was triggered by violence on 13 May in Kangpokpi district, in which three Kuki-Zo Baptist Church leaders were killed and four others were injured. The incident led to retaliatory abductions of Naga and Kuki community members by armed groups operating in the area.
Why has the NIA been brought in to investigate?
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh confirmed that the cases related to the abduction of six Naga villagers from Konsakhul village and the killing of three church leaders on 13 May have been handed to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The NIA handles cases involving serious crimes with national security implications.
Who are the four suspects arrested during the search operations?
The four individuals apprehended on Monday are Thangkhomang Khongsai (51), Seikholet Khongsai (40), Lunminthang Dimngel (27), and Kamgoulal Khongsai (30). They are suspected to be cadres of armed village volunteer groups and are being investigated for alleged involvement in extortion, criminal intimidation, illegal arms possession, and the abduction of six Naga individuals.
What is the current situation in Kangpokpi district?
Normal life in Kangpokpi district remains severely disrupted due to a total shutdown enforced by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) since midnight of 13 May. Tension persists across the hill districts, with both Naga and Kuki-Zo communities agitating separately over the recent violence.
