Suspected extremists ambushed the vehicles of civilians on National Highway 202 in the northeast Indian state of Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Saturday, killing two Tangkhul Naga men, including a retired soldier.

The incident occurred at 2:35 pm near Yaolen Kuki village, about four km from Litan on the highway linking Ukhrul town and the State’s capital Imphal. Tension has been prevailing in the Litan area since February 7, when a localised fight snowballed into a conflict between the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities.

The attack came a day after Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met villagers along the highway as part of a mission to “remove the trust deficit” between the Kukis and Tangkhuls.