Manipur: UNC extends deadline to May 17 as six Naga hostages remain untraced
Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga body in Manipur, has extended its ultimatum deadline to 6:00 PM on May 17 to trace six Naga men allegedly held hostage by suspected Kuki armed groups.
The extension follows assurances from the state Home Department that extensive combing and area domination operations are underway.
While 14 Naga hostages have been released, the six men have remained untraced since a May 13 ambush in Kangpokpi district, which also resulted in the deaths of three church leaders.
The UNC’s decision to extend the deadline was formalised after it received an official letter from the Manipur Home Department detailing ongoing search operations coordinated by the district administration and police.
This development follows an emergency meeting held on May 15 at the Senapati DC Conference Hall.
State Home Department officials, including Commissioner N. Ashok Kumar and ADGP Ashutosh Kumar Sinha, assured civil society organisations that authorities are doing everything possible to ascertain the status of the abducted men.
In the wake of the initial abduction of 20 Naga civilians from Leilon Vaiphei village, joint rescue operations by the state police, the Indian Army, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were launched.
Sekmai police have also registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by the Konsakhul village chairman regarding the abduction of civilians, who were allegedly pulled out of their vehicles and assaulted.
In light of the ongoing tensions, the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO) has issued a strict advisory urging the public to avoid travelling along the Senapati–Imphal road for personal safety.
Meanwhile, joint security forces continue intensive cordon-and-search operations to rescue the remaining missing individuals.