Normal life ground to a halt across Manipur on Tuesday as a 48-hour statewide general strike disrupted vehicular movement following the killing of three Meetei firewood collectors.
The victims were ambushed by unidentified armed miscreants on October 19, 2026, near the Khongbal Tangkhul foothills in Kangpokpi district.
The United Naga Council (UNC) strongly condemned the incident, describing it as part of a disturbing pattern of targeted violence. In a formal press statement, the UNC demanded the "swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible". The council emphasized that innocent civilians must never become bargaining tools in political or ethnic conflicts.
Meanwhile, Manipur Police have launched an intensive combing operation in the volatile Sunulok Hill area, deploying joint teams of the CRPF, BSF, and Assam Rifles alongside helicopter and drone surveillance.
Crucially, Kuki-Zo civil organizations—including the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU)—have also condemned the killings. CoTU appealed to all security forces and the public to "safeguard the region from senseless acts that may deepen communal mistrust."