GUWAHATI: Unidentified gunmen killed two migrant labourers from Bihar, while police shot an 18-year-old militant dead following a brief exchange of fire in violence-hit Manipur Saturday.
Police said the labourers – identified as Sunalal Kumar, 18, and Dasharat Kumar, 17 – were travelling on bicycles when they were shot in the evening at Keirak in Kakching district. Both were residents of Rajwahi village in Gopalganj district of Bihar.
The killings marked the second fatal attack on migrant workers since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 last year. In May this year, unidentified assailants shot a 41-year-old migrant labourer dead and wounded two fellow workers in Imphal. They were from Godda district in Jharkhand. The gunfight in Thoubal district occurred near Salungpham High School at Salungpham Maning Leikai.
7 armed ultras of Valley groupfired at police commandos
Seven armed militants of the banned Imphal valley-based group PREPAK fired at a team of police commandos. Police overpowered the group and rounded up the seven, one of whom was found with a bullet wound. Laishram Prem died in a hospital in Imphal.
The youth was missing since Aug 13 and his family had lodged a police report. He had joined PREPAK and was staying in Kakching Khunou, police said. Two Insas rifles, an Amogh rifle, a .303 rifle, an SLR rifle, 135 assorted bullets, and five mobile phones were seized from the militants. Police suspect the seized weapons were part of those stolen from their armouries during the initial stages of the ethnic unrest.
More than 250 lives have been lost since the strife broke out, nearly 60,000 people displaced, and deep divisions have emerged between the Kuki-Zo tribal communities in the hill districts and the Meitei population in Imphal valley.