Bodies of two Naga hostages identified, amid rising demand to scrap peace deal with Kuki outfits

📌 Summary:

• The bodies of two Naga pastors — among six Naga villagers allegedly abducted and killed by armed Kuki groups in Manipur — have been identified
• The United Naga Council (UNC), apex body of Manipur's Naga communities, said families identified the bodies at the JNIMS mortuary in Imphal
• The killings have intensified demands to scrap the Centre's Suspension of Operations (SoO) peace deal with Kuki militant outfits
• Deepens the Meitei-Kuki-Naga ethnic fault lines in Manipur, where prolonged violence since 2023 has displaced thousands and strained the security architecture
• Highlights the fragility of ceasefire/SoO arrangements with non-state armed groups in the North-East

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Internal Security — North-East insurgency, ethnic conflict, Suspension of Operations agreements, and the State's role vis-a-vis non-state armed actors.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• SoO (Suspension of Operations) is a tripartite ceasefire arrangement between the Centre, the State, and Kuki militant groups
• The United Naga Council (UNC) is the apex tribal body of Manipur's Naga communities
• JNIMS = Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal

🔑 Key Term: Suspension of Operations (SoO) — a formal ceasefire pact under which militant groups halt operations and stay in designated camps, pending political talks.