14 Kukis freed; release of 6 Nagas sought as highway blockade & dispute over missing persons continue in Manipur

Guwahati: In a breakthrough in the Naga-Kuki hostage crisis in Manipur, 14 Kuki hostages were released on Tuesday after being held for 27 days.

The United Naga Council (UNC) president Ng Lorho said the decision followed consultations with stakeholders and was guided by humanitarian considerations.

He said the move reflected the Naga community's commitment to humanitarian principles and established norms of conflict.


According to Lorho, the UNC facilitated the release after receiving assurances from the Union and Manipur governments that efforts were underway to trace six missing Nagas. He also cited appeals from church bodies, tribal organisations and civil society groups across the region.

Lorho acknowledged interventions by the Council of Naga Baptist Churches, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, various Christian bodies, tribal hohos, civil society groups and Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma.

He said the Manipur government had assured the UNC that efforts were being made to establish the status of the missing Nagas within a defined timeframe.

Despite the release, vehicular movement remained disrupted on national highways in Manipur as both Naga and Kuki groups continued bandhs and economic blockades over the issue of missing persons following the May 13 ambush in which three church leaders were killed.

The killings heightened tensions between the two communities, triggering allegations of abduction and detention from both sides. According to the state home department, more than 38 people were initially reported missing, though authorities later said 32 had returned.