Kuki-Naga Clashes in Manipur's Hill Districts Leave Nine Dead: Understanding the Conflict and the Peace Mechanisms
Fresh clashes between Kuki and Naga armed groups killed nine people in three hill districts of Manipur: Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi.
The violence began after a woman was shot dead by unidentified attackers in Chassad, a Kuki-majority village in the Naga-majority Kamjong district (which borders Myanmar). Exchanges of fire followed, and about 10 houses were burnt.
In Kangpokpi district, suspected militants attacked Tapon and Makui villages, killing two Naga village guards and another man. The dead included six Nagas, two Kukis and a Gorkha farmer.
The state government directed officials to restore order and appealed to community leaders and civil society groups to show restraint. Extra security forces were sent to Kangpokpi and Kamjong.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which lets officials ban gatherings to prevent trouble, were imposed in Chassad. No fresh incidents were reported the next day, but the situation stayed tense.
Manipur Ethnic Conflict: Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga Communities
Manipur is a small state in Northeast India with three main communities: the Meiteis, the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Naga tribes. The Meiteis live mostly in the Imphal valley, which is only about a tenth of the state's area. The Kuki-Zo and Naga tribes live mostly in the hills around the valley. Each group has its own worries about land, identity and political power, and these worries often clash.
The clashes are not Meitei-Kuki but Kuki-Naga, which shows the second fault line in Manipur's hills. Mixed villages like Chassad inside Naga-majority Kamjong sit right where the two groups' land claims overlap.
Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement
A Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement is a deal between the government and an armed rebel group to stop fighting each other for a time. Security forces stop operations against the group, and the group's cadres (members) stay in designated camps and do not attack anyone. The pause is meant to create space for political talks. In Manipur, the main SoO deal is with Kuki-Zo armed groups.
The clashes involve armed groups, so the strength of the SoO ground rules and their monitoring is again under question. Whether cadres stay in camps and weapons stay locked is key to stopping such violence.
Insurgency in Northeast India: Causes, Groups and Peace Accords
Northeast India has eight states, and since independence many armed groups here have fought the state for more autonomy, a separate homeland or independence. The causes include distinct ethnic identities, remote geography, fear of losing land to outsiders and a porous border with Myanmar. The government has used security operations, ceasefires and peace accords to bring groups into talks.
The Kuki-Naga clashes in Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi happen in areas claimed by both the Naga peace process and Kuki groups. This overlap is a major reason why a settlement with one group can raise fears in the other.
- Death toll: 9 (six Nagas, two Kukis, one Gorkha farmer)
- Districts affected: Kamjong, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi
- Kamjong district borders Myanmar
- Prohibitory orders: Section 163, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in Chassad
- Manipur ethnic violence began: 3 May 2023
- President's Rule in Manipur: 13 February 2025 to 4 February 2026
- SoO with KNO and UPF: signed 22 August 2008; renewed 4 September 2025 for one year
- Naga Framework Agreement: 3 August 2015; NSCN-IM ceasefire since 1997
- Article 371C: Hill Areas Committee for Manipur (27th Amendment, 1971)