Four killed in ambush near New Heaven on Imphal-Ukhrul road

IMPHAL – Four civilians, including a mother and her son, were killed when suspected militants opened fire on two vehicles along the Imphal–Ukhrul road near New Heaven in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday, November 13, 2026, police said.

The victims, two men and two women from Shangshak and Tashar villages, were travelling towards Imphal on National Highway 202 (NH-202), a stretch where travellers have come under fire several times this year.

Victims of the Imphal–Ukhrul road ambush identified

The dead have been identified as Kapangkhui RS and Haoleila RS, a mother and son from Shangshak village, and siblings Khanmila Keishing and August Ngalung from Tashar village, EastMojo reported. Hub News gave the same names, citing preliminary information.

“Two men and two women, who were travelling in the two cars, died on the spot. Bullet marks were seen on the windshields of the two vehicles,” a senior police officer told India Today NE. Two of the victims were found inside a Swift car and two in a Bolero pickup, according to EastMojo.

Who carried out the attack?

Police have described the attackers only as suspected militants. EastMojo, citing a police source, reported that suspected Kuki militants carried out the ambush, and Hub News said preliminary reports pointed the same way. No group has claimed responsibility, and police have not officially named any outfit.

Police reached the spot and have begun an investigation. The exact time of the attack and whether the vehicles were travelling with a security escort have not been made public.

The Manipur Congress condemned the killings. Congress Legislature Party leader Keisham Meghachandra Singh said at least five people from the Kuki and Naga communities had been killed in separate incidents within 24 hours, and accused the state and Central governments of failing to restore security, Imphal Times reported.

NH-202 ambushes near New Heaven and TM Kasom

New Heaven lies on the Litan–TM Kasom section of the highway, where security forces are stationed. The Sangai Express has described the TM Kasom ambush site as about 1 to 2 km from the New Heaven area.

On April 18, two civilians, including a retired soldier, were killed in an ambush at TM Kasom, as India Today NE reported. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh handed that case to the National Investigation Agency. The Kuki-Zo Council denied any role by its community, The Assam Tribune reported.

A truck driver from West Bengal carrying FCI rice to Ukhrul was killed on the same road in May, Scroll reported. On November 4, gunmen fired on a civilian convoy near Litan and TM Kasom for more than an hour, though no one was hurt, according to NorthEast Now.

The repeated attacks have pushed many Ukhrul and Kamjong residents onto longer village roads, EastMojo reported on November 11. A day later, a farmer was shot while harvesting paddy at Sinakeithei in Ukhrul district, NorthEast Now reported.

Wider violence in Manipur’s hill districts

Friday’s ambush follows other deadly incidents in Manipur’s hills in recent weeks. Nagaland.News has reported on a woman killed in firing at Taphou Kuki, a gunfight near Taodaijang in Noney district and Manipur Police’s appeal for calm after killings and arson.

This is a developing story and will be updated as police release more details.