Overview
- A Wednesday ambush on Tiger Road between Kotlen and Kotzim in Kangpokpi killed Thadou Baptist leaders Rev. V. Sitlhou, Rev. Kaigoulun, and Pastor Paogoulen and injured four others as they returned from a church meeting in Churachandpur.
- Kuki groups blamed Naga insurgent factions including NSCN-IM and ZUF, while ZUF publicly denied any role and officials said the investigation has not identified the attackers.
- Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said more than 38 people from Kuki and Naga communities have been detained or held by various groups, and he said talks are underway to secure their release.
- Army, Assam Rifles, and police launched search and area-domination operations and helped evacuate the wounded, as Kuki and allied bodies enforced shutdowns in Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, and parts of nearby districts.
- The slain pastors had led recent Kuki–Naga peace outreach in Nagaland, and the attack on the hill road—used to bypass the Meitei-majority valley since 2023 violence—risks inflaming inter-communal tensions and triggering further reprisals.