SF strikes : 3 shot dead, arms recovered
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 8: Three suspected underground acti- vists have been gunned down by security forces in separate incidents at Chan-del, Thoubal and Senapati districts in the last 24 hours.
In the first incident that took place at new Sijang village, about three kilometres south-east of Moreh police station and close to the Indo-Myanmar border, troops of 31 Assam Rifles had an encounter with suspected UGs at around 9.15 last night.
Assam Rifles PRO in a statement today said that on getting information that militants had sneaked into Indian territory, troops of 31 Assam Rifles under 26 Sector launched an operation in the general area of New Sijang-Nala tract at about 9.15 pm yesterday.
The militants were seen moving along the international boundary and when challenged to stop, they started firing.
The troops retaliated and in the ensuing gun fight one of them was killed, said the PRO and added that one AK-56 rifle with a magazie, 10 live rounds of AK-56 and eight FCC AK-56 have been recovered from the slain militant.
The body along with the seized items have been handed over to Moreh police.
Police sources informed of the AR troops recovering one AK-56 rifle, a magazine with 10 rounds from the deceased, whose body has been brought to RIMS morgue after a team of Moreh police station retrieved the corpse this morning.
The victim is clad in a black colour T-shirt and striped Lungi with a tattoo on the left forearm.
The other incident occurred in the early hours of September 7 at Salungpham Mayai Leikai of Thoubal district wherein a combined team of Thoubal police commandos and 34 AR killed a UG suspect.
As the combined team moved in to conduct search operation the UG suspect darted out from a cowshed and started running on seeing the security forces who ordered the individual to stop.
As the fleeing person opened indiscriminate firing the combined team retaliated and search of the encounter site led to the recovery of the body from whom one 9 mm pistol (Petro&Brata), a magazine with two live rounds, seven empty cases, one .36 HE hand grenade with detonator as well as 26 live rounds of AK-47, said SP (Thoubal) in a release.
In another incident a combined team of Imphal West police commandos troops of 16 Assam Rifles and and 106 CRPF gunned down a suspected KYKL activist today at about 4 pm near Molnoi village in Senapati district on NH-53.
In a statement, Army PRO said that the incident occurred near Kotlen today about 3.30 pm when the troops saw suspicious movements of civilians.
On being challenged, the suspected militants opened fire. The troops also retaliated and in the ensuing gun fight, one of them was killed.
One 9 mm pistol and five rounds of 9 mm ammunition were recovered.
Police sources said that the incident occurred while the team was returning after conducting a search operation in the villages situated along NH-53.
Near Molnoi, the combined team saw a group of suspected militants running up the hill side and when asked to stop, they started opening fire.
The militant was killed in the ensuing gun fight, said police and added that one .32 pistol along with five bullets were recovered from the slain militant.
One letter addressed to one Chanbi and signed by one Ngongo with the words, ‘Your soldier’ was recovered from the pocket of the slain youth.
The content of the letter is about supply of arms, said police.
The deceased is attired in a blue black half sleeved shirt, one blue coloured T Shirt, a tatoo with the word, ‘Baby Chanchan’ was found inscribed on the left arm.
The body has been deposited at RIMS morgue.
further, Thoubal police commandos arrested a KCP cadre identified as Soro-khaibam Bhorot Singh s/o S Nimai Singh of Wangjing Sorokhaibam Leikai from the same locality at around 8.30 pm yester-day.
Two sympathisers of the proscribed KCP were also arrested by Thoubal police commandos from their house at Khangabok Lam-long today at about 4.30 am, added the Thoubal SP.
The two who are couples are identified as Thokchom Subol (52) and his wife Indrani Devi. They were arrested following specific inputs.
One PREPAK activist has also been arrested by Imphal East police commandos and troops of 23 and 39 Assam Rifles on September 6 afternoon from Koirengei near Catholic Hospital.
Identifying the captive as S/S Lt Pebam Mongyamba alias Biren alias Sunil Meetei (48) s/o (L) P Indu Meetei of Khurai Chingangbam Leikai, SP (IE) in a statement conveyed of Mongyamba disclosing that he joined PREPAK organisation in 2004 through one S/S Captain Rakesh of Thangmeiband and was working under the command of S/S secretary general Subash of Khoyathong.
Four pair of camouflage uniform and three lathode bombs could be recovered from Heingang Awang Leikai hill at his revelation, said the SP while adding that Mongyamba was involved in the grenade attack at the official residence of Chief Minister on October, 2006.
