Manipur violence: US worried over viral sexual assault case.

The United States voiced its worry on Sunday over the sexual assault case that went viral in India after images surfaced showing two women being paraded nude in the state of Manipur.

The attack, in which a crowd is said to have raped and displayed the nude women, occurred over two months ago, but has only recently gained widespread notice due to the video's rapid spread on social media. Some arrests have been made by the police.

The United States has expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, who were described as "brutal" and "terrible" by a representative for the State Department.

The two victims, ages 21 and 19, said they were attacked in May, during a time of heightened ethnic tension between the Kuki and the Meitei majority over the possibility of the Kuki losing some of their economic perks.

New Delhi sent thousands of paramilitary and army forces to the state with a population of 3.2 million, and the situation was quickly brought under control. However, violence and deaths flared back up not long after that, and the situation has been volatile ever since.

Since the violence broke out in Manipur, at least 125 people have been murdered and another 40,000 have been forced to flee their homes.

The United States has called for a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the violence in Manipur, and a State Department official has asked authorities to react to humanitarian needs while also safeguarding all groups, houses, and places of worship. Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, called the attack "shameful" on Thursday and vowed stern retaliation.