Two soldiers killed in ambush in India's restive northeast
- The conflict has killed more than 250 people since it erupted in 2023
Two Indian soldiers were killed in a militant ambush in Manipur, highlighting the ongoing ethnic violence that has claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands since 2023.
- Ongoing ethnic violence in India's Manipur state.
- The conflict's impact on residents and displacement.
- Government response and efforts to restore peace.
NEW DELHI: Two Indian soldiers were killed on Monday in an ambush by militants in the country’s troubled northeastern Manipur state, officials said, as violence continues to grip the far-flung region.
Manipur has seen periodic clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki minority for over three years, but the violence has spread in recent months, also drawing in the Naga group.
The conflict has killed more than 250 people since it erupted in 2023.
Two soldiers from the paramilitary Assam Rifles force were killed in “an ambush by militants” in Ukhrul district, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said in a statement.
“Culprits responsible for the murder will be arrested and punished as per the law of the land, he added, without sharing further details about the identity of the attackers.
Ukhrul is home mainly to the primarily-Christian Naga tribe.
Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence in 2023, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes, according to government figures.
Thousands of the state’s residents are still unable to return home due to ongoing tensions.
India’s anti-terror National Investigation Agency last month arrested 10 people for violence, looting and robberies in the state, as the government intensifies efforts to restore normalcy.