Three killed in attack in Manipur, bodies left outside CM’s bungalow
Representative image. File | Photo credit: ANI
Unidentified armed miscreants killed three Meitei civilians and injured three others from the community on Monday (October 19, 2026) morning, sparking protests in the Imphal Valley.
Security forces personnel fired tear gas to disperse the mob that left the bodies of the two victims at the gate of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s official bungalow in Babupara area of Imphal. The police later took the bodies to the hospital.
Protesters blocked major roads in Imphal and demanded that the government take action to prevent further attacks.
According to reports, a group of 16 people went to collect firewood in Nongshum, a hilly area near the border between Meitei-majority Imphal East and Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi districts. One of the injured said they were loading firewood onto a vehicle when they were attacked.
The deceased have been identified as Arubam Ronil (35), Lairenlakpam Inaobi (44) and Kshetrimayum Sushil (32). The bodies of the two who died on the spot were left outside the CM’s bungalow.
The Chief Minister visited the injured at Imphal Hospital. He met their family members and assured that the government would bear all medical expenses for the injured.
Later in the day, he chaired a security meeting with state home minister Konthoujam Govindas and top administrative, police, army and paramilitary officers. He condemned the killings and ordered officials to strengthen security measures in vulnerable areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Nemcha Kipgen also condemned the attack and called on law enforcement agencies and the administration to act quickly and bring the perpetrators to justice. “I appeal to all citizens to remain calm, reject rumors and refrain from retaliatory violence. Manipur has suffered enough and our people deserve peace and security,” she said.
The Meitei Heritage Society condemned the killings in Nongshum and called on the government to take “immediate, demonstrable exemplary steps to arrest the perpetrators and swiftly prosecute” them and hold them accountable for any security breaches.
The last major attack targeting the Meiteis took place on April 7, when two children – one aged five years and the other five months – were killed by a bomb thrown at their house in Tronglaobi’s Bishnupur district.
Deadly brawl
The killings in Nongshum followed the death of 24-year-old Thokchom Rakesh, who was shot with a double barrel after a brawl between the Meitei and Pangal (Muslim) communities during a music concert at 11pm on Sunday. The incident took place in Khangabok area of Thoubal district.
Officials said on Monday that District Magistrate Yumnam Robita had issued a curfew in and around the affected area. “The cause of the incident is still under investigation,” said the regional police officer.
Three other people who were injured in the incident were being treated. “We are trying to ensure that the incident does not turn into a communal clash,” said the officer, who did not confirm or deny reports that some houses were set on fire after the man’s death.
About 40 minutes after the Thoubal incident, an explosion near Singjamei police station in Imphal West district injured three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel stationed in the area. They have been identified as C. Poonambam (58), Ramesh Kumar (57) and Pabitra Kumar Jena (56).
No organization claimed responsibility for the explosion. The last bomb attack was on October 8 in Imphal East district in which a CRPF constable was injured.
Published – 19 Oct 2026 14:10 IST