Manipur clashes kill 3 in Kamjong, Ukhrul; 24-hour shutdown called
Synopsis
Manipur's Kuki-Naga conflict claimed three more lives on Friday-Saturday, pushing the reported toll past 40 since February. With a police station fire disputed, conflicting community accounts of what triggered the Chassad killings, and a 24-hour shutdown now blanketing Kangpokpi, the state's security apparatus appears increasingly unable to contain a conflict that has spread across at least six districts.
Key Takeaways
Three people — including Domkhonei Touthang , a mother of five, and Sandeep Rai from the Nepali community — were killed in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts on 10 October 2026 .
Ten houses were reportedly burnt in Chassad village as armed Kuki and Naga groups clashed.
Manipur Police denied social media reports that Kamjong police station was set on fire.
The Kamjong district administration imposed prohibitory orders within a 400-metre radius of Chassad Police Gate Junction under Section 163 of the BNSS .
Former Chief Minister N.
Biren Singh claimed seven people were killed in a single day and demanded decisive action against armed militants and stronger India-Myanmar border security.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) called a 24-hour total shutdown across Kangpokpi district from 6 pm Saturday ; more than 40 people have reportedly been killed since clashes erupted in February 2026 .
Three people, including a woman and a Nepali-community man, were killed in fresh armed clashes across Manipur's Kamjong and Ukhrul districts in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday, 10 October 2026, as violence between Kuki and Naga armed groups intensified and spread to parts of Kangpokpi district. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) subsequently announced a 24-hour total shutdown across Kangpokpi district from 6 pm on Saturday.
What Happened in Chassad and Ukhrul
According to officials, a 23-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were killed in Chassad village in Kuki-majority Kamjong district, an area predominantly inhabited by the Naga community. The woman, identified as Domkhonei Touthang, a mother of five, sustained a gunshot wound near her neck on Friday night and died within minutes. Her killing reportedly triggered a sustained exchange of fire between armed Kuki and Naga groups that continued into Saturday morning. The man killed in the ensuing clash was identified as Michael Ngamminlen Haokip. Ten houses were also reportedly burnt during the violence.
In a separate incident in Ukhrul district, Sandeep Rai, a 40-year-old man from the Nepali community, was shot dead near Chepu Yaolen after suspected militants allegedly opened fire on his vehicle. Rai died inside the car he was driving, officials said. A heavy exchange of fire was also reported at Makui Ashang and Tapon along the IT Road in Kangpokpi district.
Police Station Fire: Conflicting Accounts
Reports and video circulated on social media claiming that Kamjong police station had been set on fire. However, Manipur Police dismissed these reports and denied that the station was burnt. The conflicting accounts reflect the broader information vacuum that has accompanied the ongoing conflict in the region.
Administration Imposes Prohibitory Orders
Following the violence in Chassad, the Kamjong district administration imposed prohibitory restrictions within a 400-metre radius of Chassad Police Gate Junction. The District Magistrate issued the order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons, the carrying of firearms and other potentially dangerous objects, and movement within the restricted area. Security personnel, on-duty magistrates and essential services workers were exempted.
Biren Singh's Post and Political Demands
Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, in a post on X, claimed that seven people had been killed in violent incidents across different parts of the state in a single day — a higher figure than officially confirmed. Singh alleged that suspected Myanmar-based militants had attacked Ningchou village in Kamjong district and also referred to the killing of Sandeep Rai in what he described as an alleged ambush by Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) cadres at Yolen. He also noted that two Nagas from Makui Ashang village in Kangpokpi district were reported missing.
'What is going on? How weak have we become that armed militants can kill people, burn down police stations and challenge the authority of the Indian state with such impunity?' Singh wrote. He demanded the recovery of all illegally held weapons, decisive operations against armed militant groups and stronger security along the India-Myanmar border, urging both state and central security forces to act without delay.
Kuki Organisations Offer Alternate Account
Several Kuki organisations, including the Kuki Human Rights Forum (KHRF), the Kuki Students' Organisation and the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, offered a sharply different account. They claimed that Touthang was shot while participating in a women's protest against the alleged arrest and detention of village volunteers, and demanded the strongest action against the security personnel allegedly responsible. Separately, houses belonging to Tangkhul Naga villagers were reportedly set ablaze by unidentified persons during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, with injuries on both sides reported — though official confirmation was still awaited.
This comes amid a broader deterioration: more than 40 people have reportedly been killed and numerous houses torched since clashes between Kuki and Naga communities broke out in February 2026, with violence largely concentrated across Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Noney and parts of Senapati districts. The CoTU's shutdown call underscores the extent to which civic life in Kangpokpi has been disrupted, and signals that communities on the ground have little confidence that the state can guarantee their safety without extraordinary measures.
Point of View
Including a Nepali-community driver with no apparent combatant role. What is striking is not just the death toll but the fracturing of the information environment: a police station is either burnt or it is not, and competing community accounts of the same killing in Chassad suggest that no neutral fact-finding mechanism credible to all sides currently exists. Former Chief Minister Singh's demand for decisive operations raises an uncomfortable question — he was in office when this conflict began, and the security architecture he presided over failed to prevent its escalation. The Centre's response, largely invisible in public, will be tested by whether the CoTU shutdown marks a tipping point or simply another cycle in a conflict that has now lasted the better part of a year.
NationPress
10 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was killed in the Manipur clashes on 10 October 2026?
Three people were killed: Domkhonei Touthang, a 42-year-old mother of five from Chassad village in Kamjong district, who was shot in the neck during clashes between armed Kuki and Naga groups; Michael Ngamminlen Haokip, a 23-year-old man killed in the ensuing violence; and Sandeep Rai, a 40-year-old man from the Nepali community, shot dead near Chepu Yaolen in Ukhrul district when suspected militants allegedly fired on his vehicle.
Why did the Committee on Tribal Unity call a shutdown in Kangpokpi?
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) announced a 24-hour total shutdown across Kangpokpi district from 6 pm on Saturday, 10 October 2026, citing reported attacks in Chassad, Yaolen and along the IT Road as posing a serious threat to civilian lives. The organisation said the possibility of further attacks in vulnerable areas required urgent precautionary measures.
Was Kamjong police station actually set on fire?
Reports and video circulating on social media claimed Kamjong police station was burnt, but Manipur Police officially dismissed those reports. The conflicting claims have not been independently verified, and the police denial stands as the last official position.
What did former CM N. Biren Singh say about the Manipur violence?
Singh, posting on X, claimed seven people were killed across Manipur in a single day — more than the three confirmed by officials — and alleged Myanmar-based militants were involved. He demanded recovery of illegal weapons, decisive operations against armed groups, and stronger India-Myanmar border security, urging both state and central forces to act without delay.
How long has the Kuki-Naga conflict in Manipur been ongoing?
Clashes between Kuki and Naga communities in Manipur broke out in February 2026, and more than 40 people have reportedly been killed since then, with violence concentrated across Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Noney and parts of Senapati districts. The conflict has also seen numerous houses torched across affected areas.
