Imphal: Emotions ran high at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) mortuary in Imphal on Saturday evening as the bodies of four Tangkhul civilians, killed in an alleged ambush along National Highway 202, were brought in.
Hundreds of people from different communities, including Tangkhul and Meitei, gathered at the mortuary to express solidarity with the victims’ families and pay their respects.
The deceased were identified as Kapangkhui RS and Haoleila RS, a mother and son from Shangshak Khullen village, and siblings Tychicus Ngalung and Tanmila Keishing from Tashar village.
The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the apex body of the Tangkhul Naga community, has issued a three-day ultimatum to the state and central governments, demanding the eviction of all Kuki militants from Naga areas. The organisation has refused to claim the bodies until its demand is met.
The TNL also demanded that the investigation into Friday’s killings be immediately handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). It warned of an indefinite public agitation if the demands were not met and justice not delivered.
Meanwhile, Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing strongly condemned the incident, describing it as barbaric and unforgivable. He said such heinous acts should be condemned by everyone, irrespective of caste or community.
Keishing said the government was making every possible effort to protect lives and property but faced challenges in deploying security forces across the vast forested areas.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh also held a meeting with civil society organisations on Saturday as part of efforts to address the situation.
Responding to a media query, Keishing said previous ambushes along national highways had involved attacks by armed militants from long range, whereas Friday’s incident involved a close-range attack. He stressed the need to strengthen security arrangements.
He also called for replacing central forces with state forces, alleging that most ambushes and attacks had occurred in areas where central forces were deployed.
Hill Areas Committee (HAC) chairman Dinganglung Gangmei also condemned the killings, describing the incident as beyond condemnation. He said senseless violence had continued in the state for more than four years.
He urged law enforcement agencies and decision-makers to take firm action against militants and anti-state elements responsible for the violence.
“We have witnessed the hidden agenda of a proxy war, and we are not happy,” he said.
Gangmei maintained that legislators, irrespective of their community affiliations, wanted peace and did not support violence. However, he acknowledged that the situation had gone beyond their control.
“We have appealed to the appropriate authorities to rein in these elements so that peace can be restored in our state,” he added.
It may be noted that the mutilated bodies of six Liangmai Naga men have been lying at the JNIMS mortuary since June 10, 2026.
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