By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
Two women have been killed in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, police said on Wednesday, as renewed ethnic tensions push the civilian death toll from recent violence to 10 in three weeks.
The women were killed near their home in Tamenglong district, about 150 kilometres west of the state capital, Imphal.
Police said the killings were believed to be linked to recent clashes involving members of the Christian Naga and Kuki communities.
“There is an ongoing shutdown in Tamenglong because of the killing of two women… on Tuesday afternoon,” the district’s police superintendent, Lanmiyo Luikham, told AFP.
Luikham said investigations into the killings were ongoing, while security forces were working to prevent further violence and maintain peace in the area.
Manipur has been gripped by prolonged ethnic conflict since 2023, primarily involving the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki minority.
The unrest has intensified in recent months, with the Naga community also becoming increasingly involved in the tensions.
The conflict, driven by competing claims over land, political influence and other resources, has killed more than 250 people since it began and displaced tens of thousands.
The latest killings have heightened concerns over renewed violence in the state, putting further pressure on authorities to restore calm and protect civilians.
