Five killed in fresh violence in India’s Manipur state

Five people have been killed in fresh ethnic violence in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, officials said, according to Anadolu Agency.

The incidents took place separately in the state’s Kangpokpi and Noney areas, officials and local media reported.

Manipur Police said two people went missing from Taphou Kuki village in Kangpokpi on Oct. 28. During a search operation on Sunday, joint teams recovered two bodies.

“Extensive search and combing operations will continue in the area with the objective of identifying and apprehending those responsible for the incident,” police said.

Protesters clashed with security forces in Kangpokpi district on Monday. Security personnel used tear gas and baton charges to disperse demonstrators who had been protesting since Sunday, Press Trust of India reported.

In a separate incident, three men were killed in a reported exchange of gunfire at Kekru Naga village in Noney district.

Manipur has a history of communal and ethnic violence, most recently in 2023, when clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities killed more than 250 people and affected thousands more.

Earlier this year, a new government was formed after the Indian government ended direct rule imposed following the resignation of the state’s top elected official, nearly two years after the violence began.