Kuki militants gun down 3 civilians at Khongbal Sunurok hill range

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 19: Three civilians were killed and three others sustained grievous injuries in a deadly, renewed attack carried out by Kuki militants at Khongbal Sunurok Uyok hill range, Imphal East district under Sagolmang police station this morning.
Aggrieved by the loss of the innocent lives and anguished by the Government’s miserable failure to protect citizens and their properties, local people of Nongsum brought the dead bodies and placed them at the entrance gate of the Chief Minister’s bungalow.  
Around 12 villagers of Nongsum and Uyumpok went to Khongbal Sunurok hill range to collect firewood but they came under a fierce attack from Kuki militants who were armed with sophisticated weapons.
In the indiscriminate firing by the Kuki militants, two innocent civilians identified as Arubam Ronil (35) and Lairenlakpam Inaoba (57), both from Nongsum village died on the spot and some others sustained injuries.
Soon after the indiscriminate firing ceased, local villagers and security personnel deployed in the nearby area rushed toward the incident site.
But they were stopped by Assam Rifles personnel, resulting in a heated alterca- tion between the two sides.
After some time, the angry and worried people moved past the Assam Rifles personnel and proceeded towards the incident site.
Imphal East district police and commandos also rushed to the spot to assess the situation and bring the situation under control.
Later the injured and deceased persons were brought up to Khongbal Thangkhul.
One of the injured victims died on the way to BABINA Multi Speciality Hospital, Khabeisoi.
The third victim was identified as Kshetrimayum Sushil (32) of Uyumpok village.
The injured victims were brought to Raj Medicity and they are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Condition of one of the injured persons is stated to be serious.  
The injured victims have been identified as Ngangom Suraj (19), Meisnam Somendro (53) and Khomdram Bosan, (45), all from Nongsum.
Later, a large number of infuriated and aggrieved people brought the dead bodies of Arubam Ronil and  Lairenlakpam Inaoba up to the Chief Minister bungalow in a truck.
On their way to the Chief Minister’s bungalow, they damaged the windshield of the vehicle allotted to the OC of Porompat police station.
Upon seeing a large number of people gathering at the gate of the Chief Minister’s Bungalow, security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse the crowd.
Notwithstanding the multiple rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs fired by security forces, the aggrieved people brought down the dead bodies from the truck and placed them at the gate of the Chief Minister’s bungalow.
Leaving the dead bodies of the innocent men killed by Kuki terrorists, the people went away.
Soon after, a police team from Imphal police station arrived at the spot, picked up the dead bodies and deposited them at JNIMS mortuary.
Police also pulled up six persons from the nearby areas of the Chief Minister’s Bungalow.
Not long after the dead bodies were placed at the gate of the Chief Minister’s Bungalow, security forces blocked all the roads leading towards the CM Bungalow by placing barricades in the middle of the roads.  
Police put up iron barricades at Keishampat, Moirangkhom, Palace Gate, Kangla Western gate and other places.
The dead body of Kshetrimayum Sushil was also brought to JNIMS by a team of Imphal East district police from Babina Hospital, Khabeisoi.
In the afternoon, a large number of people came out on the streets and blocked traffic movement at Kei-shampat Leimajam Leikai, Hodam Leirak, Lamlong Keithel and other places.
In the meantime, a large group of people who gathered at Lamlong announced a bandh with immediate effect till Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the six persons who were pulled up by a team of Imphal police station were released at Lamlong Keithel at around 5 pm.
Another group of people protested the terror attack and burnt tyres in the middle of Tiddim Road at Kwakeithel.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand, MP (Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency) Dr Angomcha Bimol, former Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar and MLA (Keishamthong A/C) Sapam Nishikant visited the injured victims at Raj Medicity.
Meanwhile,  strong security measures have been taken up at all major junctions of the State capital to prevent any kind of unwanted incident.