GUWAHATI, India, June 10 (Reuters) – Six men from the Naga community in India’s northeastern Manipur state have died after they were believed to have been taken hostage by an armed group nearly a month ago, state police said on Wednesday, amid escalating tensions between two predominantly Christian tribes in the state.
• The men, who were from the Christian Naga community, are believed to be among those taken hostage from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13, Manipur Police said in a post on X.
• They were found after more than 24 hours of search operations by police, involving 450 personnel and sniffer dogs, the X post by Manipur police said.
• Clashes first broke out in May 2023 between Manipur’s dominant, mostly Hindu Meitei community and the mainly Christian Kuki tribes over economic benefits and job quotas.
• However, in February, the state’s Naga community, the third ethnic group in Manipur, also became embroiled in the unrest after a Naga man was allegedly assaulted by Kuki men.
• About 260 people have been killed and more than 60,000 displaced since the unrest began.
(Reporting by Tora Agarwala in Guwahati, writing by Shanima Aniyeri in Mumbai, Editing by William Maclean)
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