New Delhi: For the first time in the Meitei–Kuki conflict that began in 2023, Meitei Hindus and Meitei Pangals have clashed in Manipur over the weekend, leading to one death and several houses set on fire, reports the Hindustan Times. Three Meitei men were separately gunned down on Monday (October 19), marking the beginning of a strife-prone week as well.Both violent episodes marred the situation in a state where Kuki–Naga tensions have simmered of late, adding to the disturbances in the ethnically divided state.A senior security officer described the ongoing situation in Manipur as “a nightmare” to the Hindustan Times.The Native People’s Committee Manipur (NPCM) called a 48-hour shutdown in the Imphal Valley in protest against the killing of the three Meitei men on October 19.The death toll in the Manipur conflict is 360, mostly concentrated within the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The violence has of late been spreading to the other social groups in the state.Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen issued a statement asking all communities to remain calm while condemning the killing of a civilian in P. Molding village in Kangpokpi on Tuesday (October 20).Imphal Times said the deceased in P. Molding had been identified as Paolen Khongsai, 45, while another man who escaped was identified as Laldenga. The firing occurred in a forest in Kangpokpi.Also read: Manipur Violence: Three Years on, the Periphery ImplodesThis was the fourth such condemnation she has issued since October 15 related to violent attacks in different parts of Manipur. Ethnic tensions have forced Kipgen to operate from Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi and stay away from Imphal.Not long ago, at least eight MLAs of Manipur belonging to Naga tribes asked Home Minister Amit Shah to “immediately abrogate” Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with Kuki-Zo armed groups in the state, pointing the finger of blame at her husband, Thangboi Kipgen.The latest series of attacks in Manipur began on Saturday (October 17) afternoon, HT reports, with a Kuki man shot dead and three others injured in Chassad village in Kamjong. The BSF was sent to the area after 50 houses in Chassad were set on fire the same night, says the HT report.Prior to the ethnic clashes that began in May 2023, in March 2020, Chassad was the site of a severe conflict over land between the resident Kuki tribe and the Tangkhul Naga community of nearby Sampui village, Land Conflict Watch has reported. The area has had a history of simmering mistrust between the Tangkhul Naga and the Kuki communities, primarily over land.There were also skirmishes between the communities in other parts of Kamjong on Saturday.Also on Saturday, there was a stone-pelting incident between Kuki and Meitei Pangal residents of Thoubal, closer to Imphal. The confrontation escalated to firing that has left one person dead and houses set on fire.“At around 12.40 am, one individual succumbed to his injuries, these were bullet injuries, at Raj Medicity, while several others were injured,” said Manipur’s ADG Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo, the HT report said.Another incident the publication reports is from Singjamei, where the Central Reserve Police Force came under an IED attack, again on Saturday, leaving three jawans injured. HT also reports a separate shooting involving a Nepali couple in Kamjong on Sunday, October 18.Also read: Armed Persons Opened Fire, Burnt Ten Houses and a Church in Manipur’s Kangpokpi DistrictOn Monday (October 19), at Sunulok Hill under Sagolmang police station near the Imphal East–Kangpokpi district boundary, unidentified armed militants opened fire on a group of 16 Meitei villagers. Most of them were woodcutters transporting firewood. The firing killed 3 and injured 3 others.Then, at around 1 pm on Monday, a group of people arrived in a truck and left the bodies of two of the three Meitei victims on the road, demanding action against alleged Kuki militants. Security forces fired tear gas shells and quickly removed the bodies.Three persons, described as “militants”, have been arrested in relation to the incident, the Indian Express has reported.Khoikai Kuki, a village in Manipur’s Kamjong district, was also caught up in an arson attack on Wednesday (October 21), the Hindu reports. Khoikai Kuki was abandoned by residents after tensions escalated between the Naga and Kuki communities.“More than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses burnt in ethnic clashes between the two tribal communities in the state since early this year. Tamenglong, Noney, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul and Kamjong are among the districts affected by the violence,” the publication reports.Amidst the flurry of clashes and arson or firing incidents, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh convened an urgent meeting of the unified command on October 19.“The meeting reviewed the overall security situation, including today’s tragic killings at Nongshum, Imphal East, and yesterday’s incident in Thoubal district,” wrote Govindas Konthoujam, a minister in the Manipur government, on Facebook. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh convened an urgent meeting of the unified command on October 19. Photo: Govindas Konthoujam/Facebook.He said the chief minister had directed officials to strengthen security measures in vulnerable areas. “Our focus remains on heightened vigilance and close coordination among security agencies to prevent further violence and safeguard lives,” he wrote in a Facebook post after the meeting.