India
Bodies of Two Missing Kuki Men Found in Manipur After Five-Day Search
In Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, police and security forces recovered the bodies of Paoginlal Hangshing, 20, and Tinginlun Chongloi, 21, who had been missing since October 28. The men were believed to have been abducted while traveling between Hengbung and Taphou villages. A joint search operation involving Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force, Assam Rifles, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), and the Regional Anti-Insurgency Force (RAF) was carried out east of National Highway 2 along the SP Road, a hilly route connecting Senapati and Kangpokpi districts. The recovery took place on Sunday, a day after three members of the Kuki community were killed in a gunfight in Noney district. The disappearance of the two men prompted a district-wide shutdown imposed by the Kuki‑Zo group CoTU on October 29, demanding their unconditional release. Police said that search operations would continue to locate those responsible for the killings. Manipur has experienced widespread violence since May 2023, when clashes began between the Meitei and Kuki communities, resulting in nearly 368 deaths, the displacement of 66,000 people, and a breakdown of law and order across the state.