Manipur Ambush: 3 Firewood Collectors Killed, Protests Grip Imphal

Three villagers who had gone into the hills to collect firewood were shot dead in a militant ambush in Manipur on Monday, setting off angry protests in Imphal and a large security operation in Kangpokpi district. The attack took place in the Sunurok hills, on the border of Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts, and by Tuesday security forces had arrested three people and recovered a cache of weapons.

The killings have once again pushed Manipur's security situation to the top of the political agenda, with grieving residents carrying the bodies to the gate of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh's residence and opposition leaders demanding answers.

What happened in the Sunurok hills

According to officials, a group of villagers left home around 7 am on Monday to gather firewood in the nearby hills, a routine trip for many families in the foothill villages. At about 9:40 am, unidentified militants opened fire on them. The area falls under the Sagolmang police station.

Arubam Ronil (35) and Lairenlakpam Inaobi (51) died on the spot. Kshetrimayum Sushil (32) was rushed to a private hospital but died later. Three others – N Suraj (19), Meisnam Somendro (53) and K Bosan (45) – were injured and are being treated.

Bodies taken to the Chief Minister's gate

As the news spread, angry residents brought the bodies to Imphal and placed them outside the main gate of the Chief Minister's residence at Babupara. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, after which the bodies were shifted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS).

Protests quickly spread across the city. Demonstrators blocked a road at Khurai Lamlong, women gathered at the Ema Keithel market, and shops and markets shut down. A civil society group called a statewide protest on Tuesday, leaving Imphal's streets largely deserted. Security was tightened around the Chief Minister's bungalow and the roads leading to it.

Arrests and weapons recovered

Joint teams of Manipur Police, the CRPF and CoBRA commandos launched combing operations in the S Phailenkot area and neighbouring villages in Kangpokpi from Monday evening. On Tuesday, three people were arrested. Addressing reporters at police headquarters in Imphal, ADGP (Law and Order) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said two of them had reportedly admitted to being part of the team that carried out the attack, while the role of the third is being examined.

Acting on their disclosures, police said they recovered an INSAS rifle, an M-16, an AK-47, a sniper rifle, three single-bore rifles, a handmade rocket launcher and 1,095 live rounds, among other weapons. A probe is under way to identify everyone involved.

Key facts at a glance

Political reactions

Chief Minister Khemchand Singh visited the injured in hospital, condemned the killing of civilians and ordered stronger protection for vulnerable areas. On Tuesday he met INDIA bloc leaders, including state Congress chief Okram Ibobi Singh, CLP leader K Meghachandra Singh and Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, at the CM Secretariat to review the law and order situation. He later described the meeting as a constructive discussion on maintaining peace.

The opposition was far less charitable. Ibobi Singh said law and order had deteriorated rapidly, while Meghachandra demanded the Chief Minister's resignation, saying the government had failed to restore peace. Opposition leaders also asked for an all-party meeting. NDA legislators, too, demanded the immediate arrest of all the attackers. Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh said people could not "keep counting the dead."

What it means for Manipur

The ethnic conflict that broke out in May 2023 has killed at least 306 people, left dozens missing and displaced thousands. Attacks on people working in fields and forests along the valley-hill border have been a recurring fear, because these trips are part of everyday life for many families. Each such incident chips away at confidence in the security grid, and the reaction in Imphal this week shows how thin public patience has worn.

The attack also came just days after violence in Kamjong district, where houses were torched and one person was killed, suggesting tensions remain high across different parts of the state.

What happens next

Police are expected to question the arrested men further and widen the search in Kangpokpi. The opposition's demand for an all-party meeting and civil society calls for protests will keep pressure on the state government, and the families of the victims are likely to press for compensation and a time-bound investigation.

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