Three Cadres of Different Militant Groups Killed in Manipur

militant groups

Imphal, July 26, 2019

The counter-insurgency campaigns of the Assam Rifles and fighting between two militant groups cost the lives of three tribal cadres of different outfits in Manipur.

Two cadres of Liberation Tiger of Tribal (LTT) later identified as Lamkhosat Khongsai (30) and Paominthang Singson alias Stephen (24) were killed in a shootout with Assam Rifles at Tuitengmun village area in Pherzawl district of Manipur bordering Mizoram on Wednesday.

The incident occurred when the duo was travelling in a bamboo boat (Bunga in local dialect) in the Barak River to which they were spotted by Assam Rifles patrol team. Manipur police retrieved the bodies and brought them at the mortuary of the RIMS, hospital for post mortem.

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In another case, a leader of the Kuki National Front (KNF) was killed at a place in Moltam area in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. Close on the heels of the killing, one of the powerful Kuki students’ bodies, the Kuki Students’ Organisation appealed to everyone to shun violence once and for all and rather choose the path of peace, coexistence, and harmony.

The victim identified as Demkhohao Kipgen (35) also known as Haobem, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the KNF was killed on July 22 at around 7.30 pm at a place in between Kangchup Chingkhong and Kangchup Chiru about 16 kms from Imphal.

The KNF is one of the oldest Kuki armed revolutionary groups and an entity of the ongoing political talks with the Governments at the centre and state.

The United People Front (UPF), one of the conglomerations of the Kuki UGs under tripartite talks with the Governments has strongly condemned the killing and appealed the Government to take the matter seriously and take appropriate action against those responsible for the ruthless killing.

Though no underground outfit claims responsibility for the killing, the KNF, Information and Publicity Secretary LH Stephen, in a release, has pointed his fingers at KNO/KRA for the blood-curdling actions. KNO/KRA is another Kuki revolutionary group mainly operating in the Kuki inhabited areas of the north-eastern states. Demkhohao Kipgen is a son of Jangsei Kipgen from Natop Boljang Village.