KSO Delhi has called for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the reported killing of 26 Kuki-Zo civilians in Manipur since March 2026.
The organisation made the demand after fresh attacks in Tamenglong and Noney districts killed six people, including four Kuki-Zo women, according to Kuki-Zo organisations. The latest violence has renewed calls for stronger security and independent investigations into attacks on civilians.
KSO Delhi seeks a central investigation
KSO Delhi has urged the Centre to hand the reported killings to the NIA and establish the circumstances behind each death. The organisation has also condemned attacks on Kuki-Zo civilians and called for action against those responsible.
The demand follows the September 15 killing of two Kuki-Zo women at Leisangphai village in Tamenglong district. Kuki-Zo organisations identified the victims as 28-year-old Kimjalhai Singson and 76-year-old Phalneichong Sitlhou.
Reports said gunmen attacked the women while they carried out routine agricultural work. Authorities have yet to establish the full circumstances of the attack or publicly confirm responsibility for it.
KSO Delhi and other Kuki-Zo groups have attributed several recent attacks to Naga armed groups. Those allegations remain subject to investigation.
KSO Delhi cites a wider pattern
KSO Delhi has linked the latest deaths to a wider series of attacks against Kuki-Zo civilians since the beginning of 2026.
Kuki Inpi media and information in-charge Janghaolun Haokip has put the number of Kuki-Zo civilians killed by Naga or proxy groups since March at 26. However, other Kuki-Zo bodies have cited different figures for the same period.
That difference matters because no independently verified official toll has established the figure of 26. The number should therefore remain attributed to the organisations making the claim.
Meanwhile, Kuki-Zo groups have called for investigations that can establish the identity of attackers, their affiliations and the circumstances surrounding each incident.
Fresh attacks raise security concerns
The September attacks have sharply increased concern in villages across parts of Tamenglong and Noney.
On September 13, four civilians, including two women, died in separate attacks in the two districts, according to statements from Kuki-Zo organisations. Two other people, including a minor, also suffered injuries.
Two days later, gunmen killed the two women at Leisangphai. Kuki-Zo organisations condemned the attack and accused armed groups of targeting civilians.
The Kuki-Zo Council said repeated attacks had created an alarming pattern. It urged the Centre and the Manipur government to protect vulnerable villages, investigate the killings and prosecute those responsible.
Kuki Inpi Jiribam, Tamenglong and Noney also condemned the violence. The organisation announced a shutdown of National Highway-37 until authorities take concrete action, according to current reports.
NIA already handles Manipur cases
KSO Delhi’s demand comes as the NIA continues to investigate several cases linked to violence in Manipur.
The agency has already taken up cases involving attacks, alleged abductions and other incidents connected to the prolonged conflict. Its involvement in such cases provides a precedent for Kuki-Zo organisations seeking a central investigation into the latest killings.
However, transferring a case to the NIA does not itself establish who carried out an attack. Investigators must examine evidence, witness accounts, forensic material and other available records before determining responsibility.
The distinction remains important in the latest incidents because rival groups have made competing allegations about armed formations operating in the affected areas.
KSO Delhi presses for accountability
KSO Delhi’s latest demand comes amid broader pressure on authorities to investigate killings and protect civilians.
The Kuki-Zo Council recently adopted a protest measure after repeated attacks on members of the community. Kuki-Zo organisations have also demanded government intervention following the September killings.
Separately, the Manipur government agreed to an NIA probe into the Tollen killings after discussions with a Joint Action Committee representing the victims’ families, according to a September 15 timeline of developments in the state.
For KSO Delhi, a wider NIA investigation would allow a central agency to examine the reported killings and determine whether they form part of a coordinated pattern.
The latest violence has again placed civilian safety at the centre of Manipur’s prolonged conflict. An evidence-based investigation could establish the facts behind individual attacks, identify those responsible and determine whether wider links exist between the incidents.