7 security men hurt as violence intensifies at Manipur’s Moreh
CONFLICT
Imphal: Suspected Kuki militants on Tuesday stepped up attack on security men at Manipur’s Moreh town bordering Myanmar, injuring seven personnel,- three BSF Jawans and four state police commandos - even as chief minister N Biren Singh said the government will take all possible actions against them.
With this, the number of security personnel hurt in the continual attacks by the militants at Moreh in Tengnoupal district in the last four days rose to 13.
Combined teams of BSF and state security forces, were moving on foot along the Moreh hospital road when they came under heavy attack at the Canan Veng area around 8.30, police sources said.
The joint security team also immediately returned fire and a heavy gunfight ensued during which the seven sustained injuries.
Of the seven, five, including the four commandos and a BSF jawan were airlifted to RIMS hospital in Imphal, the sources said, adding that all seven are out of danger.
Biren, who visited the injured at RIMS, termed the attackers as “Kuki terrorists” and stated that massive operation was on to hunt down the culprits.
Stating that the bullets fired towards the security forces pierced through the bullet proof vehicle of the police and hit the commandos, and on seeing the videos leaked from them, Biren said “these Kuki terrorists are using sophisticated weapons.”
“We are the government and we are with the Central forces. Reinforcement has been sent there. We will not succumb to this kind of threat and pressure. We will take necessary possible measures to counter such terrorists,” continued Biren.
He did not rule out the possibility of foreign mercenaries from Myanmar joining the barrage of attacks on the security forces at Moreh.
“It is possible that foreign mercenaries from Myanmar, likely to be the KNA-B cadres were involved in the attack on security forces at Moreh,” said the chief minister who added that the state government is constantly in touch with the government of India on the matter.
Though there is no immediate report of casualty inflicted on the attackers’ side in Tuesday firing, Biren, nevertheless, said two Kuki militants were reportedly killed in the encounter at Moreh two days back.
The four commandos injured in Tuesday’s incident are Maibam Thoiba (32), Chabungbam Herojit (38), Kamei Gaihemlung (40) and Mangsatabam Premkumar (35), while the BSF personnel evacuated to RIMS has been identified as head constable BN Rabindra Singh (48) of Rajasthan.