IMPHAL, May 4 – Altogether nine persons including seven members of the proscribed underground outfit, Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), and a civilian were killed in three separate encounters and a bomb explosion in Manipur today. The seven KRA cadres were killed in a four hour-long encounter with personnel of the 19 Assam Rifles in the wee hours today at Molnom village area,over 40 km north east of Imphal under Litan Police Station in Ukhrul district.
Till the filing of this report, the operation was in progress to flush out the other militants hiding nearby, informed the PIB (Defence Wing). According to the investigating officer of Litan Police Station, one ak 56 rifle, one us carbine, one modified rifle, one binocular, one m 21 rifle along with around 30 ak 56 bullets and 15 assorted ammunitions were recovered from the encounter site which is about 15 km west of the police station. Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased persons have been brought for post mortem to the morgue of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences hospital at Lamphelpat. There has been no reports of casualty on the side of the Assam Rifles.
In another incident, a suspected member of an underground outfit was gunned down by the personnel of the 17 Assam Rifles in an encounter at New Keithelmanbi under Sapermeina Police Station in Senapati district around 8.30 am this morning. The deceased is yet to be identified. There were three bullet wounds in the body of the deceased clad in civil dress. One hand grenade and one Kenwood radio set was recovered from him, official sources say.
In yet another incident, a civilian died and another sustained injuries when a mine exploded yesterday between Hansi and Hallalsang villages around 50 km from Chakpikarong in Chandel district. The deceased has been identified as Hankhalal, 34 years, of Lalongphai village while the injured has been identified as Zamkholen Paite.