Imphal, May 05 2009: A combined force of State police commandos and Assam Rifles shot dead two suspected underground activities during two separate encounters over the last 24 days.

According to information received by the press, the first encounter took place at Thoubal Khunou Chingya at around last midnight.

During the encounter, a combined force of Thoubal District Police Commandos and personnel of 28 Assam Rifles shot dead one suspected underground activist and recovered one point 32 pistol.

In connection with the incident, a statement issued by Additional SP of Thoubal District Jogeshchandra Haobijam said that on receipt of specific information about the movement of armed cadres in general area of Thiyam Konjil, a combined force of Thoubal Police Commandos and 28 Assam Rifles rushed to the area and conducted search operation.

At around 11.30 pm, the security force saw 3 to 4 persons moving about suspiciously at Thoubal Khunou.

The security personnel shouted at them to stop for verification, Instead of stopping, the suspected armed militants fired towards the security force with sophisticated weapon.

Immediately, the security force retaliated the firing and ensued an encounter for about 3/4 minutes.

On search of the area after the encounter, one bullet ridden body of a UG suspect as found and one point 32 pistol loaded with four live rounds in the magazine were recovered from near the body.

In the second encounter which took place at around 4.15 am today at Seilen Chingkhong under Lamlai Police Station of Imphal, a combined force of Thoubal Police Commandos and personnel of 23 Assam Rifles gunned down another UG suspect.

One pistol loaded with two live rounds of ammunition and three fire cartridges were recovered from the possession of the slain UG suspect.

About the second encounter, the Additional SP said acting on reliable information about the presence of armed cadres in general area of Saijang and Sailen village, a combined force of Thoubal Police Commandos and 23 Assam Rifles rushed to the area and conducted search operation from 4 am onwards.

At about 4.15 am, the combined force saw 5 to 6 UG suspects moving suspiciously on foot from saijang village towards Sailen village, the security personnel shouted at them to stop for verification.

Surprise by the presence of the security force, the UG suspects fired towards the combine team with sophisticated weapon.

In the retaliatory exchange of firing, one of the UG suspects was shot dead at the spot while the other managed to escape taking advantage of pre-dawn.

After the encounter, the area was search and one 9 mm pistol, one magazine and two live rounds of ammunition were recovered near the body of the slain UG suspect, the statement issued by the Additional SP of Thoubal added.

Meanwhile, along with identification of the UG suspect reportedly killed in the Seilen encounter as Chongtham Umakanta alias Manaoton (24) s/o Gunamani of Iroisemba Mayai Leikai Amukhong Leirak, the family members have contended that he had been picked up by suspected police commandos from the house of one of his local friends identified as Mayanglamba, Nanao at around 9.45 pm yesterday but it was reported that he was killed in an encounter today morning.

Both Umakanta and his friend Nanao were former KYKL cadres who have been even arrested and lodged in the jail.

Nanao, however, managed to rescued from the clutches of those who came to arrest them.

On the other hand, the body of the remaining UG suspect out of the two killed by a combined force of Imphal West District Police Commandos and personnel of 39 Assam Rifles during an encounter at Kameng on the night of May 3 has also been established today.

The body which has been laying at the mortuary of RIMS Hospital was today identified as that of one Gurumayum Bishe Sharma (32) s/o late Samu of Bheigyabati Leikai Mangil.

He was a former PREPAK cadre and he had come out from jail just a week back.

The other UG suspect who was killed in the same encounter had already been identified yesterday as Mayangbam Bijoy of Yumnam Leikai Ngakrabam Leirak.

Both the bodies have been taken by their respective family members after post-mortem examination at RIMS today.