Fresh violence in Manipur; four dead in day of clashes
Manipur witnessed a new cycle of violence on Tuesday after a suspected rocket attack killed two minors. In protests that followed, two others were killed. With violence escalating, the State suspended internet and mobile data services across five valley districts for three days.
“The step has been taken to prevent the spread of rumours and further unrest. The case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA)”, a spokesperson of Manipur Government said.
The incident comes close on the heels of Manipur’s long-running conflict that began in May 2023 between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Violent clashes since have claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands of people. The border area of Moirang Tronglaobi has seen repeated clashes and remains heavily guarded with multiple checkpoints.
According to the available information, a rocket-like projectile or explosive device struck a civilian house in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai area of Bishnupur district. The area is situated near the sensitive buffer zone between the Meitei-dominated valley and Kuki-Zo-dominated hills of Churachandpur. A five-year-old boy and his infant sister were killed while they were sleeping.
Their mother, who works as a nurse in Guwahati and was on maternity leave, sustained critical injuries and is being treated in a hospital in Imphal. Her husband is a BSF jawan currently posted in Bihar and was travelling back to Manipur.
The local police later recovered a live Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) shell connected to a device from the spot. Locals alleged the attack was carried out by suspected Kuki insurgents. Meanwhile, the Kuki-Zo Council condemned the incident and rejected the allegations levelled by the locals and described it as a tragic attack on innocents.
As the information about the tragic death of children spread, locals gathered in large numbers to protest in Bishnupur. They blocked roads, burned tyres and set fire to at least three trucks near a petrol pump in Moirang area.
The situation took an unpleasant turn when some demonstrators, who had gathered at the Moirang police station, tried to storm a CRPF camp in the area. Eyewitnesses reported damage to camp premises as the mob grew agitated and attempted to break through the security cordon.
Security forces including CRPF personnel firsts lobbed used tear shells to disperse the mob. They subsequently opened fire as the mob refused to budge. Two civilians died on the spot in the firing while, several others were injured. They were rushed to Government hospital in Imphal for treatment.
As the situation deteriorated, the State home department ordered the temporary suspension of internet in five valley districts; Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur for three days, effective from 2:00 pm on April 7, 2026. The step was taken to prevent rumour mongering and misuse of social media platforms for stoking emotion in the sensitive border states, an official said.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited the injured mother at the hospital. He described the attack as a barbaric act and an assault on humanity, calling it a deliberate attempt to disturb the state’s fragile peace. He assured that those responsible would be identified and dealt with strictly under the law.
Tensions remain high in the affected areas but no major fresh incidents have been reported beyond the initial violence. Security forces have been deployed in strength, and normal life is disrupted in parts of the valley districts due to the protests and internet shutdown.
