Postal Bags Burned in Manipur as Highway Blockade Enters Second Day
In a fresh incident of unrest in Manipur, unidentified individuals set fire to 35 postal bags on National Highway 202 in Ukhrul district on Monday, July 27, 2026. The bags contained passports, ATM cards, educational documents, and other items. The incident occurred as a highway blockade by an unidentified mob continued for a second day.
The attack took place between Yaingangpokpi and Litan, following the alleged looting of 40 commercial and private vehicles on the same highway that connects Imphal with Ukhrul and Kamjong towns.
Wungreipam Rimai, the postmaster at the Ukhrul Sub-Post Office, confirmed that the Department of Posts was transporting the consignments. “Thirty-five postal bags were destroyed in the incident,” he said. Of these, 30 bags were destined for Ukhrul, four for Somdal, and one for Kamjong. Somdal is the ancestral village of Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim.
“We have reported the incident to the civil and law enforcement agencies concerned for an investigation and necessary action,” Mr Rimai added.
District officials reported that an unidentified mob began an “indefinite” blockade on the night of July 26. The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), an apex community organisation, alleged that Kuki villagers, in collusion with Kuki insurgents under the Suspension of Operations agreement, halted vehicles and confiscated belongings at Shangkai Kuki village and Mahadev hill on July 27.
“All these illegal activities were brazenly carried out in the presence of security forces deployed on reconnaissance and observation post (ROP) duty. More than 40 commercial and private vehicles were accosted at the two specified locations by the Kukis in the name of enforcing an illegal counter-economic blockade,” the TNL said in a statement.
The organisation further alleged that belongings, including valuable documents, cash, clothes, and groceries, were pillaged and burned, while other items were looted. It questioned why security forces deployed on escort and ROP duty failed to provide effective safety and security for commuters and their property.
The incident highlights the continuing ethnic tensions in Manipur, where clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have led to violence and blockades. The authorities have not yet confirmed the TNL's allegations, and an investigation is underway.
