Manipur: 28 ‘hostages’ belonging to Kuki and Naga communities released

According to officials, 14 individuals from each community were released following negotiations and intervention by security agencies after violent incidents occurred earlier this week

Twenty-eight civilians belonging to Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities who were allegedly held captive amid escalating ethnic tensions in Manipur have been released in coordinated handovers between Kangpokpi and Senapati districts, officials said on Friday.

However, authorities said six male detainees from Konsakhul village remain unaccounted for. (Representative file photo)

According to officials, 14 individuals from each community were released following negotiations and intervention by security agencies after violent incidents occurred earlier this week.

The releases came a day after suspected armed militants launched separate attacks in Kangpokpi district and Noney district of Manipur on Wednesday, killing three church leaders and injuring four others, while in a separate incident in neighbouring Noney district, one civilian was killed while his wife sustained injuries.

Officials said the first group released included 14 members belonging to Naga community including 12 women and two men from Konsakhul village, Kangpokpi district who had allegedly been held in captivity by armed groups and were later handed over at Makhan village in the same district of Manipur.

Meanwhile, 14 members of the Kuki community, including four men and ten women who were reportedly held in Senapati district, were released and handed over to security forces late Thursday night.

Police said the Naga civilians had reportedly been detained in Ireng Liangmai village near Singda Da, Kangpokpi district and other locations in Senapati district, while the Kuki detainees were allegedly held at Leilon Vaiphei village and nearby areas.

Among those released by the Kuki side were two persons associated with the Salesian Provincial Office in Dimapur who were detained near Sapermeina.

However, authorities said six male detainees from Konsakhul village remain unaccounted for. Efforts are underway to trace and secure their release.

One of the women released from Ireng Liangmai village said they were blindfolded and moved in dense forest and mountainous areas during detention.

“We were blindfolded, our hands tied behind our backs and moved through different jungle and hill locations. Even while eating, we remained blindfolded. But we were not assaulted,” she said.

Officials noted that the Kuki detainees released from Senapati were reportedly kept in a hall at an undisclosed location and were not blindfolded during captivity.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that a Kuki minor from Song Pehjang in Saikul and a man from Kuki Taphou village were separately released by a Naga village guard group, identified as the Northern Command, on Thursday evening and handed over to Senapati police.

No official statement has yet been issued regarding responsibility for the abductions.