As many as nine villagers were injured in a fierce day-long gun battle that broke out between suspected Kuki militants and the village volunteers who were defending Nongsum village under Sagolmang police station in Imphal East district. The gunbattle that occurred at Khamenlok lasted till late evening, according to latest reports.
According to sources, the gun battle which lasted till late evening broke out after suspected Kuki militants started firing towards Nongsum village at around 10 am.
Soon after the village volunteers fired back and they were joined by volunteers from other villages.
The Kuki militants who were attacking the villagers were reportedly from Khopibung of Kangpokpi district which is located 5 km east of Sagolmang police station.
Kuki villages surrounding Khopibung include Khamenlok, Chalouphai, Agiyang, Thumbol, Songyang (Laphura) and Gobayang, it added.
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As soon as information about the gun battle was circulated, shops at Khurai Lamlong Keithel were closed and the women folks blocked the transportation on roads, especially the security vehicles, it informed.
In the fierce gun battle between a large number of village volunteers of Nongsum and Kuki militants who had set up bunkers and Santry posts at Khopibung Village gate, four village volunteers sustained bullet injuries from gunshots from G/R from Nongsum Mamang Hill around 12.30 pm, it mentioned.
At least nine village defense volunteers received bullet injuries during exchange of fire with Kuki militants on Monday at Khamenlok village in Saikul sub-division of Kangpokpi district while one undergoing treatment is in critical condition at Raj Medicity, Imphal.
The injured are namely Irom Oken, 30, from Morok Ingkhol; Ngangom Rakesh, 28, Keibi Heikrak Mapal; Haorongbam Helen Meitei, 39, of Nagar Panchayat Lamlai; Sorokhaibam Niraj, Chingamakha Sorokhaibam Leikai; Ngangbam Amarjit, 35, Lairikyengbam Leikai; Moirangthem Jiten, 35, Uyumpok Nongshum; Huiyam Birla, 34, of Sinam and one is unknown. They are admitted at Raj Medicity while another bullet injured named as Thangjam Bimol, 40, of Pungdongbam Mamang Leikai is admitted at JNIMS, Porompat.
The unknown injured received two bullet injuries on his left abdomen and one at his upper chest. Hospital authority reported that he has been admitted to Operation Theater while the remaining injured are minor injuries.
Around 4.45 pm, the village volunteers were able to chase off the Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons including snipers, from their bunkers and sentry posts set up at Khopibung Village gate, it continued.
The volunteers found a 4 feet long country-made pipe bomb with three wire connections set to explode beside a bunker, but the volunteers managed to diffuse the bomb by disconnecting the wire timely, it mentioned.
It continued that after the Kuki militants were chased off, houses at Khopibung Village were set ablaze. In the gun battle, seven volunteers were injured in which six of them are undergoing treatment at Rajmedicity while one was rushed to JNIMS. It stated that the volunteers witnessed no injuries among the Kuki militants.
Soon after receiving information about the gun battle, IRB commandos rushed to the area and secured the civilians away from harm’s way, it added.
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