Chief Minister N. Biren Singh visits attack site
IT News
Imphal, July 2:
Three village guards were killed in a fresh attack by armed militants at Khoijumantabi village in Bishnupur district at around midnight yesterday. In retaliation by the villagers at least one Kuki militant was reported killed while a village where the armed militants took shelter has been burnt by the irate mob at around wee our today. Gunshots were heard till afternoon today as villagers continue to chase the militants.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh personally took stock of the situation by visiting the attacked site at around noon today. Interestingly gunshots were heard even at the time when the Chief Minister was inspecting the attacked site at around 2 pm.
The three village guards killed in the militant attack have been identified as Ningombam Ibomcha (34 years), Naorem Rajkumar (26 years), and Haobam Ibocha (41 years). All the deceased are from Khoijumantabitabi village under the Borayangbi Gram Panchayat, Bishnupur district. Two other village guards identified as Khudrakpam Manglemjao and Naorem Amarjit of the same village were reported injured in the attack by the armed militants.
Report said that the attack happened at around midnight yesterday. After hearing the report of the death of 3 village guards, villagers of Khoijumantabi and the adjoining area thronged in large numbers with license arms and other deadly weapons at around 3 am today. The irate mob retaliated against the heavily armed militants and firing between the two lasted till evening today. One militant was reported killed in the attack. The irate mob also burnt houses of a village where the armed militants took shelter.
A statement by the media cell of the Indigenous Tribal Leader Forum (ITLF) has identified the militant killed in the mob attack as one David Thiek. The statement said that David felt like a victim when Langza and Chinglangmei village in the Churachandpur district was attacked.
Ground report by our reporter said that the village guards, killed by the militants were stationed at a make ship place at Khoijumantabi hill which is located in the periphery between Bishnupur district and Churachandpur district, due to fear of attack to the village since the last many days. A police team from Bishnupur district came to the site and along with the villagers they took out the dead bodies. Angered over the killing of the village guards, the villagers of Khoijumantabi took the dead bodies to the residence of Kumbi Assembly constituency MLA Sanasam Premchandra around 9 am. However, the MLA was not at his residence at the time.
On receiving the report, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and other top government officials rushed to the spot. N. Biren reached out to the make-ship camp where the village guards were reported killed by the armed militants.
