One security personnel killed in attack by militants in Manipur’s Moreh town

A state police personnel was killed when suspected Kuki militants attacked a security forces vehicle in the border town of Moreh in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district on Wednesday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Wangkhem Somarjit, an IRB personnel attached to the state police commando in Moreh. He told that Somorjeet is a resident of Malom in Imphal West district.

Security forces exchanged fire with suspected Kuki terrorists at three different locations in Moreh city on Wednesday morning, police said. Police said terrorists hurled bombs and opened fire at a post of security forces near SBI Moreh, and security forces retaliated.

The militants also fired RPG shells at the makeshift commando post, damaging several vehicles parked nearby. Suspected Kuki militants opened fire on a security forces post, 48 hours after state forces arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of a police officer in the border town, police said.

Earlier, following inputs of “likely breach of peace, disturbance of public peace and grave danger to human life and property within the revenue jurisdiction of Tengnoupal”, the Manipur government had imposed complete curfew from 12 am on January 16. .

District Magistrate Tengnoupal’s order said the curfew, however, will not apply to “agencies of the government engaged in enforcement of law and order and maintenance of essential services”.

Police had arrested Philip Khongsai and Hemokholal Mate, the two main suspects in the murder of SDPO CH Anand in October last year. Both of them had fired at the vehicles of security personnel after which the police chased them and caught them. The two were later produced before Judicial Magistrate Moreh and sent to nine-day police custody, police said.

Moreh-based civic bodies, including Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, had strongly condemned the arrest and demanded the unconditional release of the duo within 24 hours. KIT had also warned of serious consequences if the two were not released.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)