Imphal, April 22: Reacting to the allegations raised by the local people of Yairipok and published in the State dailies following the killing two by Assam Rifles troops on April 18, the PRO of Assam Rifles in a statement today said that the two slain youths belonged to the proscribed PULF (Azad) faction.

The PRO said that following inputs about the presence of S/S assistant finance secretary, Md Mustafa and S/S pvt Abdul Aziz alias Tomba of the finance department of PULF (Azad) and their group commander Md Sana in Yairipok Tulihal village, security forces established multiple ambushes/mobile vehicle check post s on all roads leading to Yairipok Tulihal.

House to house search operation was also conducted, said the PRO and added that the two slain PULF cadres escaped from the village taking a less utilised road.

They were however confronted by the security forces, said the statement and claimed that they were killed in retaliatory firing.

The allegations that they were first arrested with their legs tied and later done to death are baseless and wrong, asserted the PRO.