Manipur attack kills two women, police say

Two women were killed near their home in Tamenglong district in India's northeastern state of Manipur, police said Wednesday, bringing civilian casualties linked to ethnic strife there to 10 in the last three weeks.

Police superintendent Lanmiyo Luikham said there was an ongoing shutdown in Tamenglong after the killings on Tuesday afternoon. He said the attack appeared to be linked to recent clashes between mainly Christian Naga and Kuki groups.

Luikham said police were investigating and focusing on maintaining calm in the region.

Unrest has flared in Manipur since 2023 between the state's mainly Hindu Meitei majority and mainly Christian Kuki minority. The violence has spread in recent months and drawn in the Naga group. More than 250 people have been killed in the conflict, which is fuelled by competing claims over land and political influence.

The latest attack came days after eight people were killed in three separate incidents across the state, which borders Myanmar.