15-year-old boy shot dead in Manipur’s Tamenglong amid Naga-Kuki tensions

A 15-year-old boy was shot dead by unknown armed individuals in Tamei in Manipur’s Tamenglong district on Monday, police confirmed, amid continuing tensions between Naga and Kuki communities in parts of the state.

The deceased was from Takou village, a Naga settlement, and had gone alone to Tamei village to buy essential food items when he was attacked. Police said villagers heard around 20 rounds of gunfire from the area at about 10.30am.

Teenager found dead by roadside

After hearing the gunfire, villagers went towards the spot and found the boy dead on the roadside.

Police said the motive for the attack remains uncertain and the perpetrators have not yet been identified. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Some local reports have identified the victim as NK Wiphenbou and described him as a Naga youth from Takou, but reports differ over his age. Police and the supplied report identify him as 15. Allegations by local sources that suspected Kuki militants were behind the attack have not been independently verified by police.

Fresh violence amid community tensions

The killing comes amid continuing tensions between Naga and Kuki communities in parts of Manipur. According to the supplied report, tensions intensified after a drunken brawl in the Litan area of Ukhrul district on February 7, with more than 35 people from both communities killed in separate incidents since then.

In September alone, seven Kuki individuals, including a couple, have been killed in separate attacks by unknown armed individuals, according to the report.

Recent violence has also affected Tamenglong and neighbouring districts. On September 13, four people, including a couple, were killed in separate attacks in Tamenglong and neighbouring Noney district, while a six-year-old boy was injured. Two Kuki women were subsequently killed in a separate attack in Tamenglong on September 15.

Recent attacks add to security concerns

On Sunday, one woman identified as Neiesther Gangte succumbed to bullet injuries at Churachandpur district during an attack by unknown armed individuals at Longpi village of Tamenglong district. Two people, including a man and a woman, had earlier been killed in the same attack.

The latest killing has added to concerns over the safety of civilians travelling through remote areas of Tamenglong. Local reports said the attack occurred along a route used by residents travelling towards Tamei, although further details about the security response and investigation were awaited.

Police have yet to identify those responsible for Monday's killing, and no organisation has claimed responsibility.