NEW DELHI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Three church leaders were killed and five others wounded Wednesday after gunmen ambushed their vehicles in India's northeastern state of Manipur, police said.
The victims, members of the Thadou Baptist Association, were travelling from Churachandpur to Kangpokpi after attending a church leaders' meeting when armed assailants intercepted their vehicles and resorted to indiscriminate firing, a police official said.
The incident triggered an immediate blockade of National Highway-2, a key route linking Manipur with Nagaland and the rest of India, and further heightened tensions in the violence-hit state.
The Kuki Students' Organisation in Churachandpur said that all the victims were Baptist Church leaders belonging to the Kuki-Zo community.
Following the killings, the organization announced an indefinite shutdown, accusing state authorities of failing to contain armed groups.
Reports said the victims had recently participated in peace efforts aimed at facilitating dialogue between the Kuki-Zo and Tangkhul Naga communities.
The incident comes amid ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, where clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have continued since May 2023. Friction between the Kuki-Zo and Tangkhul Naga groups has also escalated in recent months. ■
