Imphal, Jan. 10: The gunbattle between guerrillas of the Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF) and jawans of the Border Security Force continued for the third day today in Sajik Tampak area of Manipur’s Chandel district, bordering Myanmar. In yet another show of firepower, the MPLF last night launched simultaneous attacks on security forces at eight separate places in Manipur. Though the attacks did not result in any casualty, they did trigger confusion among law-enforcing agencies.
The rebels attacked Assam Rifles outposts at three places — Keirak, Kongjom and Wabagai — in Thoubal district. They also attacked a CRPF post at Loktak hydel project and fired at BSF jawans deployed at Moirang power house, both in Bishenpur district.
In Imphal East district, MPLF guerrillas targeted a Manipur Rifles outpost in Irilbung village. Two additional battalions of the BSF equipped with heavy weapons, including medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers and mortars, were despatched to Sajik Tampak. They were, however, ambushed on the way by MPLF guerrillas.
The exact number of casualties in the three-day-long gunbattle could not be ascertained as the BSF and the MPLF issued contradicting figures.
It has, however, been confirmed that most, if not all, the casualties are on the BSF side as its troops were outnumbered by the MPLF guerrillas. The outfit claimed their militants killed six BSF personnel, including an assistant commandant, though the BSF officials put the death toll at four.
BSF deputy inspector-general P.K. Mishra told The Telegraph that two BSF battalions, which reached Sajik Tampak today, saw militants fleeing towards Khongtal village on their way to Myanmar.
He said his troops might return from Sajik Tampak tomorrow as the BSF cannot chase the militants if they enter Myanmar. Official sources said the state’s apex security co-ordinating committee had earlier decided to launch an operation in and around Sajik Tampak to flush out militants. The BSF was entrusted with the task of carrying out operations in Sajik Tampak by the security committee, the sources added.
Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh today reviewed the state’s law and order situation with high-ranking security officials in view of the MPLF’s repeated attacks on security camps.
The MPLF today claimed that there was no casualty on its side and charged the BSF with taking villagers hostage to escape from Pardai village near Sajik Tampak. The outfit said nearly 100 BSF jawans had been surrounded by their guerrillas yesterday, but the securitymen, using villagers as a human shield, escaped from the village.
The MPLF claimed the BSF was planning to send in reinforcements to Keithelmanbi, Serou Lamkhai and Sajik Tampak.