Two Tribal Women Shot Dead While Working On Farm In Manipur

Two tribal women were shot dead, and several farmhouses were reportedly set ablaze, at Leisang Kuki village in Jiribam district in Manipur on Tuesday afternoon, in a fresh outbreak of violence along the Jiribam-Tamenglong boundary. This has heightened fears among villagers and renewed concerns over the security of civilians in vulnerable settlements.

The victims were reportedly attacked while working on their farms around 3 pm. Local sources said several other villagers who had gone to their respective farms remained unaccounted for following the attack.

The women were identified as Chonga Sitlhou, 60, and Kimboi Singson, 30, both residents of Leisang village. According to local accounts, Chonga Sitlhou was gathering firewood at her farm when she came under fire. Kimboi Singson, who had recently completed her nursing studies and had returned home to help her parents with farming, was also killed in the attack.

Several farmhouses in and around the area were also reportedly torched, raising concerns over the destruction of civilian property and agricultural livelihoods in addition to the loss of life.

The number of people missing and the final casualty figure remained unclear at the time of filing this report, with information from the remote area continuing to emerge.

The latest attack came barely two days after four tribal civilians, including a married couple, were killed in separate attacks at Tollen village in Tamenglong district and Longpi village in Noney district on September 13.

The September 13 killings had already triggered widespread condemnation and demands for an immediate investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with stronger security for vulnerable settlements.

Despite security concerns, villagers continue to access their farms to sustain their families. The fresh violence at Leisang has further deepened concerns over the safety of villagers living along the Jiribam-Tamenglong belt, particularly those dependent on remote agricultural fields for their livelihood.

The latest killings -- the sequence of attacks at Tollen, Longpi and now Leisang -- are likely to intensify demands from Kuki-Zo civil society organisations for immediate security reinforcement, protection of vulnerable settlements, a time-bound investigation and stringent action against those responsible.