Nine killed in clashes across three Manipur hill districts as Chief Minister meets PM

At least nine people were killed in 24 hours of violence across three hill districts of Manipur that began on the night of Friday, 9 October 2026, according to officials cited by The Indian Express and Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times reported four deaths each in Kamjong and Kangpokpi districts and one in Ukhrul. The violence came as Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday, 10 October.

What officials and reports say happened

Both outlets reported that the violence began on Friday night at Chassad village in Kamjong district, where a joint team of Manipur Police, the India Reserve Battalion and the Border Security Force was carrying out a drive to destroy alleged illegal bunkers. According to officials, women tried to disrupt the drive and unidentified assailants then opened fire on the security personnel, who retaliated. A 42-year-old Kuki woman was killed in the exchange of fire.

Later that night, unidentified people set fire to about 14 houses belonging to members of the Naga and Kuki communities, both outlets reported. Gunfire between armed groups and security forces followed, The Indian Express said, and the Kamjong district magistrate imposed prohibitory restrictions within 400 metres of the Chassad police station.

On Saturday, further killings were reported:

• Two Naga village guards were killed in Kamjong district at about 9.30 am, police said, according to Hindustan Times.
• Three Naga village guards were killed at Makui village in Kangpokpi district at about 5 am, according to officials and people aware of the matter. Both outlets attributed the attack to a Kuki armed group on the basis of local accounts; police have not confirmed this.
• A Naga village volunteer was killed and two others injured in an ambush on the Imphal-Tamenglong road in Kangpokpi district, allegedly by suspected Kuki militants.
• One commuter was killed in an ambush on National Highway 202 in Ukhrul district. Police said the motive and the identity of the attackers were not known.

Hindustan Times, citing officials and local village volunteers, reported that six of the dead were Naga, two were Kuki and one was a man of Nepalese origin. It also noted that videos circulating on social media could not be independently verified.

A senior police officer told Hindustan Times, on condition of anonymity, that armed groups from across the Indo-Myanmar border might be involved but that there was no official confirmation and an investigation was under way.

Meeting in Delhi

Singh met Modi while the violence was under way. According to The Indian Express, he briefed the Prime Minister on the state government’s steps to restore normalcy, including the resumption of Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati bus services and the movement of goods trucks on NH-37 (Imphal-Silchar) and NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur), and asked for the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal to be upgraded to an AIIMS. The Prime Minister acknowledged the state government’s efforts and assured all possible assistance.

Hindustan Times quoted a post by the Chief Minister’s office saying the government “remains steadfast in its resolve to advance lasting peace, stability” in the state. The same outlet reported that security was tightened along NH-2 in Kangpokpi district and that a civil society body, CoTU, announced a 24-hour shutdown across Kangpokpi.

What happens next

No official toll or statement from the Union Home Ministry had been reported at the time of writing. Police have said an investigation is under way. Figures and the identities of those responsible may change as authorities confirm details.