By M.Devanand Sharma
Imphal(Manipur), July 10: One villager volunteer was killed in another fresh attack by armed Kuki militants at Kadangband area in Imphal West today morning.
Womenfolk of Kadangband area and the father of the deceased alleged that the deceased village volunteer was killed by the Assam Riffles who have been supporting the Kuki militants.
Source said that heavily armed Kuki militants started firing towards the Singda Kadangband area from Singda Kuki and Kangchup Geljang village side at around 9 pm yesterday using sophisticated automatic weapons.
Village volunteers also retaliated, and the gun fight lasted till late morning today. A village volunteer identified as Saikhom Sanjit Kumar (29 yrs),son of Saikhom Rocket, a resident of Uripok Achom Leikai Lane -6, Imphal West district was killed in the gunbattle at around 9 am today after being hit by a bullet.
“The Kuki militants started firing towards the village some hours after the bunkers had been dismantled”, a local women told the media adding that the village defender was killed by the Assam Rifles.
Father of the deceased Saikhom Rocket, while speaking to media said that his son was hit but a bullet of an LMG gun which was issued to the central paramilitary forces. He suspects that his son was killed by the guns of the Assam Rifles.
The dead body was shifted to RIMS for conducting post-mortem. Large number of people stood by the roadside at Uripok Kangchup road as the dead body was brought in an ambulance to RIMS morgue.
Meanwhile, locals along the Uripok-Kangchup road blocked the road to show their anguish and discontentment over the death of the 27-year-old volunteer. Another group of people from Uripok area under the aegis of the Uripok Apunba Lup shut down all shops and business establishments. The large number of people also staged a rally however they were prevented by the RAF and the state police in front of Cheirap Court,Uripok.
Locals along the Uripok-Kangchup road also blocked the road to show their anguish and discontentment over the death of the 27-year-old volunteer.
