Manipur horror: 6 bodies found; Kuki militants suspected

Imphal: The bodies of six individuals, including women and children who had been missing since November 11, were discovered in Manipur's violence-affected Jiribam district on Saturday. This comes after three bodies were found near the Jiri River on Friday evening.

A police official in Imphal confirmed that three additional bodies were found on Saturday afternoon in the same area. The bodies found on Friday were transported to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem, along with the three recovered on Saturday. The victims were part of a group of 10 people, including an elderly woman, her two daughters, and three minor grandchildren, who had been missing after violence erupted in the Borobekra area of Jiribam.

The six victims were part of the Meitei community and had been residing in a relief camp near the Borobekra police station since violence broke out in the district in June. These individuals were reported missing following a violent encounter between “Kuki militants” and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on November 11. During this clash, 10 militants were killed, and it was alleged by several Meitei groups that the missing individuals had been kidnapped by the militants during the attack on the CRPF camp.

While Meitei-dominated groups have raised concerns about the abductions, tribal organizations, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), Kuki-Zo Council, and the Hmar Students' Association, have claimed that the missing individuals were members of the Hmar Village Volunteers.

Earlier, two bodies of elderly civilians, Maibam Kesho Singh (75) and Laishram Barel (61), were found during search operations after the violent encounter at Jakuradhor village, where multiple houses were also burned. Additionally, one person was rescued and another returned to the police station on their own. The remaining six were unaccounted for until the discovery of their bodies on Friday and Saturday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has expressed concern over the ongoing fragile security situation in Manipur, where violence between armed groups from both communities has led to loss of life and public unrest. Security forces have been directed to restore order, and any disruptive activities will face strict action. The Ministry has also handed over key cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further investigation.

Authorities have called on the public to remain calm, avoid rumors, and cooperate with the security forces to maintain law and order in the state.

With IANS inputs