A middle-aged woman who had a head wound from a gunshot was discovered dead on Wednesday in Tairenpokpi area in the Imphal West district.

The body was transferred for a post-mortem examination to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.

The body of a man, presumed to be in his forties, was also found in Takhok Mapal Makha area in Imphal East district late on Tuesday night, an officer said. Locals recovered the body of the unidentified man, he said.

The dead was discovered blindfolded, with his hands bound behind his back and bullet wounds on his head.

For identification and post-mortem procedures, the body was taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East. An FIR has been registered, and an investigation is on, sources said.

The deceased woman is believed to be one of the four missing persons, who were recently “abducted by unidentified men” from Kangchup foothills in Imphal West district, another officer said.

According to another official, the deceased woman is thought to be one of the four people who had gone missing after being “abducted by unidentified men” from the Kangchup foothills in the Imphal West district.

Witnesses claimed that a big number of people, including women from Phayeng, went to the Kangchup hillside to inquire about the mysterious individuals who had strayed into the Meitei region, alarming them.

Notably, on Tuesday near Kangchup foothills, unknown assailants opened fire on at least nine people, injuring two police officers from Manipur and a woman.

Since ethnic hostilities started in May, Manipur has been plagued by recurrent episodes of violence. Since then, almost 180 individuals have lost their lives.

The conflict sprang from a variety of complaints that both parties had against one another, but the attempt to drive away tribal members residing in protected forest regions and the decision to grant Meiteis Scheduled Tribe status—which has since been rescinded—were the main points of contention.

About 53 per cent of Manipur’s population are Meiteis, who are mostly found in the Imphal Valley, and 40 per cent are tribal people, who are primarily found in the hill areas and include the Nagas and Kukis.