Twenty-eight members of the Kuki and Naga communities who were allegedly held captive by armed groups in Manipur’s Kangpokpi and Senapati districts have been released, police said on Thursday, amid rising security concerns following a series of violent incidents across the state.

According to police officials, the civilians had been taken to “unknown areas” after suspected militants launched separate attacks on Wednesday. The violence claimed the lives of three church leaders in Kangpokpi district and left four others injured. In a separate incident in neighbouring Noney district, one civilian was killed while his wife sustained injuries.

A senior police officer said that 12 Naga women from Konsakhul village, who had allegedly been held captive by armed militants, were released at Makhan village.

Police also confirmed that 14 members of the Kuki community — including four men and ten women — who had reportedly been kept in captivity in Senapati district were handed over to security forces late on Thursday night.

In addition, two Salesian brothers of Don Bosco, including one from Nagaland, were also released separately by the armed groups, officials said.

The recent incidents have heightened concerns over civilian safety in Manipur’s hill districts, where tensions between armed groups and local communities continue amid the ongoing ethnic unrest in the state.