GG News Bureau
Imphal, 17th Jan. One state police personnel was killed when suspected Kuki militants attacked a security forces vehicle in the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district of Manipur on Wednesday, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Wangkhem Somorjit, an IRB personnel attached to the state police commando in Moreh. Somorjit is from Malom in Imphal West district.
On Wednesday morning, the security forces engaged in a firefight with suspected Kuki militants in three different locations in Moreh town, the police reported.
The militants threw bombs and fired at a security forces post near SBI Moreh. The security forces retaliated, returning fire.
The militants also fired RPG shells at a temporary commando post, causing damage to several parked vehicles nearby.
The suspected Kuki militants attacked the security forces post just 48 hours after the arrest of two suspects involved in the killing of a police officer in the border town, the police stated.
Prior to this incident, the Manipur government had imposed a total curfew in Tengnoupal from 12 am on January 16 due to the possibility of a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity. However, the curfew does not apply to government agencies responsible for law enforcement and essential services.
The police had apprehended Phillip Khongsai and Hemokholal Mate, the main suspects in the killing of SDPO Ch Anand in October of last year. The two suspects had fired at the security personnel’s vehicles, leading to a chase and their subsequent arrest.
Phillip Khongsai and Hemokholal Mate were presented before the Judicial Magistrate Moreh and have been remanded to nine days of police custody.
The civil bodies based in Moreh, including Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, strongly condemned the arrests and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the two suspects within 24 hours. KIT also warned of severe consequences if their demands were not met.
