A couple and their son were killed, and several houses were set on fire as fresh violence erupted in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, with two armed groups exchanging fire on Friday, even as a hostage crisis remains unresolved in the northeastern state.A protest for the release of six missing Nagas in Manipur. (PTI/File)Residents and community organisations said the gunfire began around 4:10am in Kangpokpi district’s Loibol Khellen. Officials said Letkhongam Haokip, his wife, Tinmary Haokip, and their son, Jangminlal Haokip, were killed in the violence.Deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen called the killing of the three and the burning of homes “by unknown armed miscreants” a tragic and unacceptable act. He said the government is taking the incident very seriously. “Necessary steps are being taken, and those responsible will be dealt with as per the law. The safety and security of our people remain our priority.”Kipgen appealed to everyone to remain calm and not be provoked by those who seek to create fear and division. “At this moment, we must stand together and support the affected families and community.”Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), an apex body of Kukis, said seven houses were destroyed and extensive damage was caused to property. It blamed armed cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah, a Naga armed militant outfit and a faction of the Zeliangrong United Front-Kasom, for the violence against Kukis. The organisation described the incident as a “barbaric attack” targeting civilians.There was no immediate response from the groups named in the KIM statement.The KIM called the deaths of the three and the destruction of homes a grave violation of human rights and called for accountability. It urged the Union government and security agencies to launch a thorough investigation, identify those responsible, and take measures to protect vulnerable villages from further attacks.The fresh violence came days after a hostage crisis escalated Naga-Kuki tensions, the latest in a series of crises in the northeastern state, where ethnic violence has continued sporadically since May 2023. Leaders of tribes, chiefs’ associations, church forums, philanthropic groups, and lawmakers have sought to end the tensions.The Naga-Kuki tensions intensified following the twin ambushes on May 13 that left four people, including three church leaders, dead. In the aftermath of the ambushes, 48 people were taken hostage, triggering protests, shutdowns, and a blockade along all three national highways in the state.State home minister Govindas Konthujam said both the Kuki and Naga were held captive. Fourteen Kuki and Naga hostages each were released on May 15. The United Naga Council, a community body, said six Nagas were held hostage, prompting security forces to launch a search operation.The National Investigation Agency has taken over the probe into the whereabouts of the six Nagas, after security forces could not find them in the Kuki-Zo area. The 14 Kuki-Zos captives are in captivity and accounted for.The ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before involving almost every community. The state’s Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities shut each other out from the areas they dominate since ethnic clashes began in May 2023 and left at least 260 people dead and displaced 60,000.The Meiteis, mostly Hindu, live largely in the Imphal valley. The Kukis, predominantly Christian, reside in the hills. The state government has maintained that there are no buffer zones dividing communities in the state, but it has identified certain sensitive areas.A new state government was formed in February, nearly a year after the imposition of the President’s Rule. It includes representatives from all three major communities as part of an attempt to maintain ethnic balance.