Full Breakdown
UNC Lifts Three-Month Highway Blockade Amid Fresh Naga Civilian Killings in Manipur
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Core Event: Temporary Suspension of the UNC Economic Blockade
On September 26, 2026, the United Naga Council (UNC) announced that it would suspend its indefinite economic blockade of Manipur’s national highways with effect from 6 p.m. that day. The decision followed a tripartite meeting in Guwahati involving the UNC, the Government of India, and the Manipur state government. The announcement came hours after armed gunmen killed two Naga civilians in Kangpokpi district and a day after four Tangkhul Naga civilians were shot dead in Pilong village, Kamjong district, near the India-Myanmar border.
Background & Context
- June 11, 2026 – The UNC began an inter-district blockade of National Highways 2, 202 and 102A after the recovery of six mutilated Naga bodies on June 10, 2026.
- May 13, 2026 – Six Naga civilians were abducted in Leilon Vaiphel (a Kuki village) and later found dead, prompting the blockade.
- The UNC’s core demands are: (1) revocation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with roughly 25 Kuki-Zomi armed groups, (2) removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, and justice for the six abducted Naga civilians.
- Ethnic violence in Manipur, originally between Meitei and Kuki communities in 2023, expanded in early 2024 to include clashes between Kuki-Zo and Naga groups, leading to repeated civilian casualties and displacement.
Data & Statistics
- Four Tangkhul Naga civilians killed in Pilong (identified as Phami Jajo 43, Ningthem Kashak 35, Betterson Jajo 50, Vareishim Jajo 67).
- Two Naga civilians killed in Kalenjang (identified as Rocky Mao and Kumar Poumai).
- 13 people reported killed in separate gun attacks across Manipur’s hill districts in September 2026.
- The blockade disrupted supply chains, causing shortages of medicines, baby food, fresh produce and fuel; black-market petrol reportedly reached Rs 250 per litre and LPG cylinders Rs 5,000.
On-the-Ground Reports
Local residents reported that government offices, schools, businesses and transport services were shut in parts of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts following the killings. Fewer commuters were seen on the highways, and markets reported severe shortages of essential goods.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Perpetrator attribution varies: police statements and several outlets suspect the Myanmar-based Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B); the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) alleges involvement of KNA-B and Kuki militants backed by the People’s Defence Force; other reports describe the attackers only as “unidentified armed persons” without confirming any group.
- Date of the four-person killing is reported as September 24, 2026 and as September 25, 2026 in different sources. Both dates fall within the same weekend of heightened violence.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In connection with the incident a sou-moto case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 329 (3) (criminal trespass), 137(2) (kidnapping), 103 (2) (murder by group of five or more on specific ground), 351 (criminal intimidation), and section 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and section 25(1)(C) of the Arms Act, 1959,” — police
What’s Next
The tripartite agreement stipulates that the UNC’s suspension of the blockade will remain in effect until the state government fulfills the council’s four-point demands. The Manipur government has pledged to strengthen border security and continue dialogue, but no further concrete timeline for meeting the demands has been disclosed.