Three men were killed in a gunfire exchange in Manipur’s Noney district, while police found the bodies of two men missing since Oct. 28, as the discovery heightened tensions in Kangpokpi.
Manipur Police said the three men died Saturday, Oct. 31, in an exchange of fire involving unidentified armed groups in Noney district. Police did not state a cause of death for the two bodies recovered the following day.
The two men had gone missing from Taphou Kuki village on Oct. 28, police said. They were found during a joint search Sunday, Nov. 1. NDTV reported that the circumstances of their deaths remained under investigation.
A shutdown in Kangpokpi district had followed the disappearance, NDTV reported. Protests escalated after the bodies were brought to Kangpokpi, where demonstrators blocked National Highway 2. Security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd, NDTV reported.
Police have not publicly named anyone responsible for either incident.
