A 45-year-old man was shot dead by suspected militants in a forest area in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, police said, according to PTI. The incident occurred around 8 am when Paolen Khongsai of P. Molding village and another person were collecting bamboo shoots in the forest, police said. The other man escaped the attack unhurt. Police have registered a case in connection with the killing, according to reports citing The Indian Express.

Protesting Tuesday's killing, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) called a 24-hour total shutdown in the district from midnight over the killings of civilians from the Kuki community, PTI reported. In a statement, the committee said the continued suffering of the Kuki people — marked by loss of lives, destruction of homes, forced displacement and persistent insecurity — demands urgent attention.

The shooting came a day after suspected militants ambushed a group of about 14 Meitei villagers who had gone to collect firewood at Khongbal Tangkhul, under Sagolmang police station in the same district, on Monday. Three villagers were killed and four others were injured in that attack, police said. A 48-hour shutdown called over the Monday killings disrupted normal life across the Imphal Valley, with markets, schools and offices closed and public transport largely suspended. Manipur Police arrested three people in connection with the October 19 attack, and security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to reports. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the killings and directed officials to strengthen security arrangements in vulnerable areas to prevent further attacks.

Local Kuki organisations have alleged that suspected cadres of the NSCN-IM and the ZUF were behind Tuesday's shooting. Police have not confirmed who carried out the attack, and no group has claimed responsibility. Manipur has remained tense since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities first erupted in May 2023, and the two killings on consecutive days have renewed fears of further escalation. Sources: PTI; ANI via LatestLY; The Indian Express reporting via LatestLY; DY365.