Guards, rebels exchange fire

Kuki outfit denies involvement in incident Commandos take position during the fire exchange with militants at Kangpokpi in Manipur’s Senapati district on Tuesday.

Imphal, July 2: The security personnel of works minister Kh. Ratankumar and Opposition MLA Nemcha Kipgen exchanged fire with cadres of Kuki National Front (KNF), while the duo were touring Kangpokpi in Senapati district today.

Police said the exchange of fire lasted for about 10 minutes. However, no one was injured in the encounter.

Cadres of the outfit, which has a suspension of operations agreement with the government, stay at a designated camp at Natheljang, not very far from the incident site.

Ratankumar said his security escorts informed him that they fired in the air on seeing some armed militants on a nearby hill. “Our security escorts fired on seeing some militants as a precaution and warning. It is very unfortunate that such incidents took place during a minister’s tour,” he said.

Police said the militants returned fire and after the incident, the team turned back from the area. Ratankumar and Kipgen were touring the latter’s constituency of Kangpokpi to inspect development activities in the Kuki-dominated area, about 45km from Imphal.

The police said the team was passing Parsaial Nepali Basti, 2km from the Imphal-Dimapur highway, when the security escorts saw around six armed militants in camouflage attire climbing down a hill.

“As the convoy was moving along the road, some militants were seen on the hills and suddenly firing broke out. We could not say whether the militants fired back or not as everyone was taking position,” a member of the minister’s team said.

However, the outfit denied firing at the minister’s convoy. “Our boys did not fire a single shot. The minister and MLA’s security personnel fired to scare our boys, who were coming to our camp,” Rohan, a KNF leader and member of the suspension of operation joint monitoring group, said.

He said four armed cadres were returning to the camp after picking up four other cadres who went out of the camp last night without any permission, when the security escorts saw them and opened fire. “We tender an apology for the unfortunate incident to the minister, MLA and state government,” he added.

The works minister toured the area following an assurance given by Kipgen during the ongoing Assembly session that he would pay a visit to Kangpokpi to inspect the progress of ongoing projects, official sources said. O. Henry, a social worker from here, accompanied the minister.

Nearly 50 Manipur Rifles men and police personnel, led by additional superintendent of police, Kangpokpi, Md Jakiruddin Ahamed, were escorting the minister and MLA’s team, which also comprised engineers of the public works department.

Despite the firing, the minister continued his tour and inspected a government high school and the condition of roads and bridges in Kangpokpi area.

Ratankumar said he was visiting the area to see the condition of roads and bridges as the government was focusing on development in the five hill districts.

6 Kuki militants killed in Manipur encounter

IMPHAL: At least six militants of Kuki National Front (KNF) were killed in an encounter with the security personnel in Manipur's Bishenpur district, official sources said.

Acting a tip-off, personnel of 10th Assam Rifles battalion surrounded the militants in Kangchup and Singda dam area in Senapati district during which they fired upon them.

The security personnel also returned the fire, triggering a brief gun battle, which ended with the killing of the ultras, they said.

The paramilitary forces were continuing the search operations to nab the remaining militants who reportedly escaped through nearby hill areas.

Meanwhile, four AK-47 rifles, one A3 rifle, one M16 rifle and some rounds of ammunitions were found at the spot, sources said, adding that KNF was one of the signatories of suspension of operation (SOO) agreement under which the government forces suspended operation against them.

Sources said said the representatives of state and Central governments had signed SOO agreement with some of the militant factions some years ago.

Under the SOO agreement, the militants were expected not to move around with arms and not to extort money from general public, the sources said.

The SOO signatories, particularly Kuki militant outfits, who have been demanding formation of a 'Kukiland' by breaking up of 22,327 sq km Manipur, had been asked to confined themselves at particular designated camps which were set up by the government.

Heavy exchange of fire between forces, militants in Manipur

IMPHAL: There was heavy exchange of fire between para military forces and militants in interior Thoubal district of Manipur, the police said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, personnel of 15th Assam Rifles battalion started searching Bongbal village under Yairipok police station on Wednesday when they were fired upon by suspected Kuki militants.

The forces retaliated and the ensuing shoot-out lasted for over an hour, the sources said adding there was no casualty on the side of the forces.

Casualty, if any, on the side of the militants was not immediately known.

The militants later fled to nearby jungles, the sources said.

Twelve militants surrender in Imphal

Twelve militants belonging to the Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) surrendered before the army on Saturday and were brought to Imphal.

The cadres surrendered along with self-styled Second Lieutenant Lal Denga before Brigadier Rajiv Mankotia, Commander 26 Sector Head Quarter Assam Rifles.

They surrendered to the 9th Assam rifles under 26th Sector Assam Rifles at Moreh along with arms and ammunitions.

Second lieutenant of KNLF, Lal Denga said that they took the decision to surrender, as they loved their country and their family.

"Because we have decided that we love our land; India, we love our family members, we love our friends so we have decided that if Kuki politics can go hand in hand with the government then that is better ; so we decided and we just came out with the orders of higher our authorities, higher officials," said Denga.

The arms surrendered by the cadres included five AK-47 rifles, two AK-22 Rifles and four Self Loading Rifles (SLR) including 700 rounds of ammunitions.

The surrender took place at Lajang village near Old Samtal where a party of 9 Assam Rifles led by Major Vikas received the cadres who had earlier in the day escaped from the Lajang camp.

The surrendered militants cadres were later brought to Imphal.

The surrendered militants revealed that they were misguided and ill treated by People Liberation army (PLA) and united national liberation front (UNLF) cadres and they were inspired by the government policy allowing rehabilitation of militants.

Speaking on the occasion, Brigadier Rajiv Mankotia, Cdr 26 Sect AR assured the surrendered militants of rehabilitation.

He also emphasized that young people of Manipur were the backbone and the future of Manipur and integrating them into the mainstream was the main aim of Assam Rifles.

Two Dimasa militants break roof of Haflong jail, escape

SILCHAR: Two hardcore militants belonging to Dimasa National Liberation Front (DNLF), including its commander-in-chief, escaped from Haflong subjail on Tuesday.

A senior official said DNLF's self-styled commander-in-chief David Kemprai alias Action Dimasa and another cadre Bongirachan Khelma escaped from cell No 2 of the sub-jail at 2 am on Tuesday by breaking the roof of the building. The duo was staying in the cell along with 11 other inmates. Sources said the guards manning the jail failed to notice the incident.

A hunt was launched after the incident came to the notice of the jail authorities, though both have remained untraceable.

David, a former DHD (J) commander of the Haflong area was first arrested in 2007 from Shillong in Meghalaya. However, he was later freed on bail. After DHD (J) surrendered before the government, Devid joined DNLF, a Dima Hasao-based militant outfit, and became its commander-in-chief. He along with DNLF cadre Khelma was again arrested in 2011 and since then they were in Haflong jail.

Authorities are yet to initiate any action against any official of the jail for the incident.

Additional deputy commissioner (Dima Hasao) M K Das on Tuesday said the Haflong sub-jail building is in a dilapidated condition for several years. There is also not adequate number of wardens and security guards in the jail.

Meghalaya bus set on fire, hunt on for rebels

Shillong, June 6: Police and paramilitary forces launched combing operations in Meghalaya after rebels of the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) set ablaze a government bus yesterday.

In a pre-dawn attack, four-five rebels stopped the Meghalaya Transport Corporation bus at Dingrepa area in Meghalaya's North Garo Hills district bordering Assam's Goalpara district before setting it on fire.

The rebels fired several bullets in the air to scare the passengers and directed around 30 passengers, including the driver and the conductor, to alight from the bus before they set it on fire, police said.

The outlawed tribal Garo outfit left a note near the ill-fated bus warning the government of more bloodshed.

Coordinated action needed against insurgents: Northeast CMs

New Delhi: The Chief Ministers of Northeast states on Wednesday sought the Centre's help in launching coordinated action against insurgents taking shelter in various states as well as neighbouring countries.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said coordinated action was needed in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya if training, arms supply transit routes and shelters of militants are to be chocked.

"Myanmar remains a foreign sanctuary and there are efforts to reopen camps in Bhutan. Any reversal by a future Bangladeshi regime of the drive against Indian militants will revive the spectre of inviolate sanctuaries across our borders," he said at the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security here.

Gogoi said he supports the concept of NCTC with a caveat that the states should be more engaged whether in developing intelligence leads or in executive action.

As per reports available, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said, NLFT(BM) (National Liberation Front of Tripura- Biswamohan faction) has as many as 19 hideouts in Bangladesh, four of which are located within 10 km of the Indo-Bangladesh border.

"The group has been trying to make fresh recruitments. Reliable reports also indicate that most of the Northeast insurgent groups, including NLFT(BM), have formed a common platform called United Forum, which may pose a serious threat to all NE states and to the country as a whole," Sarkar said.

His Mizoram counterpart Lal Thanhawla said various militant groups from neighbouring Northeast states and countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh have taken advantage of the porous and inhospitable terrain along the inter-state and international borders.

"This has direct bearing on the internal security for not only Mizoram, but also for the whole northeastern states as insurgent groups used it as a conduit for arms smuggling and for crossing over to neighbouring countries for seeking refuge or training," he said.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said lack of adequate strength of the police force and difficult terrains have had its limitations on counter insurgency operations, thus emboldening the militant outfits to continue in their nefarious activities.

"But despite constrains and challenges, continuous vigilance coupled with regular operations to flush out the militants and other anti-social elements indulging in extortions and other nefarious acts have helped in checking the activities of various outfits," he said.

Representing Sikkim, state Urban Development Minister D B Thapa said formation of separate states may renew unrest in the region adjoining Sikkim.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is keeping close watch on formation of separate states and its formation may lead agitation for such demands in hills, he said.

Thapa said that its adverse effect will also be experienced in Sikkim which has its distinct identity and cultural heritage.