Three Baptist Pastors Shot Dead in Manipur Ambush After Peace Conference

Three Baptist pastors were shot dead in an ambush in Manipur, India, on May 13, 2026, as they returned from an interchurch peace conference aimed at easing tensions between tribal Christian communities.

Armed attackers opened fire on the pastors' vehicle on a rural road in the northeastern state. All three died at the scene. Their names have not been publicly released pending notification of their families.

The killings come as Manipur marks three years of ethnic and religious violence that has displaced tens of thousands of people and destroyed hundreds of churches. Christian communities in the state have faced repeated attacks during this period.

The Baptist church bodies in Manipur condemned the killings and called on Indian authorities to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. Church leaders said the pastors had attended the peace conference specifically to work toward reconciliation between warring communities.

India's northeastern states have a large Christian population, and Manipur's conflict has drawn concern from international religious freedom organizations. The Voice of the Martyrs and other watchdog groups have documented dozens of attacks on Christians in the region since 2023.

Local church leaders said the pastors were committed to peace work and had traveled to the conference despite security concerns. "They gave their lives trying to bring people together," one church official said.

Indian federal authorities have been urged to deploy additional security forces to protect Christian communities in Manipur and to pursue accountability for the ongoing violence.