IMPHAL: A 17-year-old Naga youth was shot dead by suspected militants in the Tamei subdivision of Manipur’s Tamenglong district on Monday, police confirmed.
The victim, identified as NK Wiphenbou from Upper Nkou village, was walking alone to Tamei town to buy essential groceries for his family when he was ambushed around 10:30 AM. Local village volunteers rushed to the scene after hearing multiple rounds of gunfire and discovered his body along a narrow hilly path. Security sources suggest the teenager may have been targeted by a sniper.
The incident has triggered massive outrage and deepened ethnic anxieties. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and former Chief Minister N Biren Singh strongly condemned the targeted killing, demanding a time-bound investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
This targeted ambush marks a dangerous escalation in the region. Since fresh clashes erupted involving the Naga and Kuki communities in February, over 40 people have lost their lives. Heavy security forces have been deployed across the vulnerable border areas of Tamenglong and Kangpokpi to prevent retaliatory violence and restore order