Militants fire grenades at patrol party in Manipur, five wounded

GUWAHATI: Four police commandos and a BSF trooper were wounded on Tuesday when militants suspected to be from a Myanmar-based outfit fired rocket-propelled grenades at a joint patrol in the border town of Moreh in Manipur's Tengnoupal district, making this the fourth consecutive day of violence in the state.

Chief minister N Biren Singh accused "foreign mercenaries" of trying to stoke a conflict that was dying out, identifying the perpetrators as being possibly from the Kuki National Army, Burma (KNA-B). "Multiple sources have told us this," he said.

The five wounded men were airlifted to Imphal and hospitalised at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences. They are Maibam Thoiba, Chabungbam Herojit, Kamei Gaohemlung, Mangsatabam Premkumar and Rabindra Singh.

Four other police commandos survived a similar attack in Moreh with multiple injuries early Sunday. In the Imphal valley, two village guards were killed in separate attacks during the weekend.

On Monday evening, assailants masquerading as cops shot and killed four civilians and left six others critically wounded at a marketplace in Thoubal district. The victims were identified as Md Daulat, M Sirajuddin, Md Azad Khan and Md Hussain.

The banned Revolutionary People's Front, the political wing of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur, owned up to the killings on Tuesday, saying its cadre were trying to "capture a drug lord from Lilong Chingjao" when some people stopped them and tried to snatch their weapons. The militants fired in retaliation, resulting in the deaths.

Police held an interfaith meeting to ease tension in the area while CM Biren Singh visited the families of the deceased.

Although all the killings have been in the valley, the government is treating Moreh on the India-Myanmar border as the current epicentre of unrest. Since Saturday, three militant attacks have left 10 security personnel injured, starting with an ambush in which a commando suffered splinter injuries.

Biren Singh said state and central forces were up against militants armed with sophisticated weapons and out to ensure that the state remains restive. The state government is keeping the Centre informed about every step being taken to restore peace.

The chief minister's statement coincided with reports of a gunfight in the Chavangphai area of Moreh after two people were picked up for allegedly being involved in an attack on police personnel the day before.