Black Day Shadow Falls on Tollen as Kuki Woman Killed, Husband, Son Shot

On a day when the Kuki community across the region observed Sahnit Ni (Kuki Black Day) in memory of victims of the 1990s Kuki-Naga violence, a Kuki woman was allegedly killed and her husband and son wounded in an early-morning armed attack on their home at Tollen village in Tamenglong district, local sources said.

The attack, which allegedly involved suspected NSCN-IM cadres and Naga Village Guards, took place around 4 am on Sunday, according to the sources. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from any armed group.

The deceased woman was identified as Lhingjangai Singsit, while her husband Seineh Singsit sustained gunshot injuries and is undergoing treatment, the sources said.

Their three children were briefly unaccounted for following the attack but were later traced. Their youngest son also sustained a gunshot wound to his arm, while a bullet was reportedly lodged in his buttocks, according to local accounts.

The alleged attack has cast a grim shadow over Sahnit Ni, observed every September 13 by Kukis to remember victims of the Joupi massacre of 1993 and other killings during the prolonged Kuki-Naga conflict of the 1990s.

Kuki groups have long alleged that NSCN-IM cadres were responsible for the September 13, 1993 killings in which scores of Kuki civilians, including women and children, were massacred in parts of Tamenglong and the erstwhile Senapati district. The day has since become one of the darkest dates in the collective memory of the Kuki community.

The latest incident, however, has revived fears among villagers that the violence of the past continues to cast a long shadow over remote settlements in the hill districts.

Tollen, also known as Tolen, is a remote settlement in the Tousem area of Tamenglong West, where difficult terrain and poor road connectivity can severely hamper emergency medical evacuation.

Villagers alleged that NSCN-IM cadres, along with Naga Village Guards, carried out the attack. The allegations could not be independently verified immediately.

The condition of Seineh Singsit and his wounded son, and the extent of damage to the family's home were not immediately known as police and district authorities had not issued a detailed statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.

The attack comes amid continuing tensions and sporadic violence in Tamenglong and along the Imphal-Tamenglong Road, with both Kuki-Zo and Naga settlements reporting incidents of firing, arson and civilian casualties in 2026.