Imphal, December 02 2008: AT LEAST two persons were gunned down in the last 24-hours, taking the death toll of persons killed in various shooting incidents during the last 13 days in which media houses across the state struck work following the assassination of a scribe on November 17 evening to 26 according to a compiled report.

Eight among the 25 died are civilians, it is claimed.

Out of the eight civilians killed by suspected militants, one was shot death by suspected Kuki militants near the Khongmounum village located along the IB road under Sapermeina police station last night at around 10.30 pm.

The slain youth was later today identified as Paominlin Louvum (18) son of Housat of Mongjang village, Sapermeina.

Meanwhile one person was gunned down by the Imphal west police commandos this evening at 5 pm near the Herbert Higher Secondary School, Gari under Lamphel police station died.

Police said a pistol loaded with some live rounds recovered from the slain suspect.

Others included killing of two drivers of the state Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) on November 22 at a spot lying between Seijang and Leimakhong under Lamlai police station in Imphal east, and massacre of five drivers at the Maphou Dam site in Thoubal district.

The bullet-ridden bodies of the two IFCD drivers � identified as Maibam Chaoba (56) of Khurai Nandeibam Leikai and Yanglem Inoucha alias Sohodev (42) of Uchekon, Imphal � were found inside a car parked on the road side of an inter-village road connecting Seijang and Leimakhong in the morning of November 22.The vehicle is said to belong to an engineer of the department.

Chaoba was a regular employee of the department while Sohodev, a work charge employee.

Strongly condemning the clueless murder of the two drivers, staffs and officials of IFCD staged sit-in protest in front of their head office at Khoyathong.

They also demanded that the government should find the culprit(s) involved in the murder and book them at the earliest possible.

Five day later, on the intervening night of November 26th and 27th, five more drivers engaged in the construction works of the controversial Mapohu Dam were shot death by suspected hill based militant after forcing them to drive their tippers into nearby a nearby gorge.

Another driver escaped with a bullet wound in his shoulders, official report said.

The escaped driver named Heikrujam Inaobi (29) son of Nilamani of Moirangpurel village managed to reach the nearest BSF camp at the dam site.

After administering first aid, he was brought to RIMS hospital in Imphal for treatment.

On November 21, at least five militants were gunned down in two alleged encounters by the Imphal west police commandos in a joint operation with troops of 22 Maratha Light Infantry.

Arms and ammunitions were also recovered from the slain militants, police said.

Three of them were killed at an inter village road connecting Nongren and Maphou Dam under Lamlai police station in Imphal east while the remaining two were gunned down at a spot at Mayang Imphal Chareikhong under Mayang Imphal police station in Imphal west, according to police report.

Security forces also claimed recovery of a M-16 rifles and two 9 mm pistols along with some live ammunitions from the three slain suspects killed at Nongren.

They further claimed that a 9 mm pistol loaded with five rounds and a hand grenade were also recovered from the possession of the two slain militants at Mayang Imphal Chareikhong.

On the night of November 24 two suspected activists of United People Liberation Front (PULF) Azad group were gunned down by the police commandos in a joint operation with the troops of 34 Assam Rifles at Poiroupat under Yairipok police station of Thoubal district.

Police had claimed recovery of two 9 mm pistols loaded with seven live rounds from the slain persons who were later identified as Md Abdul Halim son of Abdul Kashim of Lilong Irong village and Md Azizur son of Md Khomei of Yairipok Changamdabi presently residing at Hatta Golapati, Imphal.

Security forces in joint operations with state police commandos have killed at least five militants at separate places in a span of two day on November 29 and 30 and in which they claimed recovery of arms and ammunitions.

Two of the militants were gunned down by the troops of 21 Assam Rifles in a joint offensive with the police commandos in Thoubal district on November 30 afternoon at Sekmaijin Napetkhong.

Two numbers of arms, a country made carbine with a magazine loaded with one live round, a 9mm pistol with a magazine loaded with three live rounds and two empty cases were recovered by the police from the slain suspects.

Another suspect was also killed by the Thoubal district police commandos at Pebiya Pandit under Irilbung police station of Imphal east at around 1.30 pm of the same day and recovered a 9 mm pistol, according to police report.

On the night of November 29 also two militants were gunned down by the state police commandos in a joint counter insurgency operation with the troops of 12 Maratha Light Infantry last night at Bamdiyar under Nambol police station.

A 9 mm pistol loaded with some live rounds and a hand grenade were recovered from them, police had said.

Three more militants have killed by the troops of Assam Rifles in a joint operation with the police commandos at Yairipok Pechi Hill in Thoubal district at around 6 pm of December 1 .

Reports said that the three militants were killed in an encounter between the combined forces of 34 Assam Rifles and Thoubal police commandos and some militants suspected to KCP near the foothill of Yairipok Pechi Hill this evening at around 6 pm.

Arms and ammunitions were recovered from the slain cadres, the report added.

On November 24th last, one woman identified as one Ayung Haokip (53) wife of Nethang Haokip of Old Lambulane was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Molsang area of Moirang district.

Ayung was reportedly traveling in a passenger bus when the unidentified gunmen stopped the bus and after asking her to disembark, shot her down at point blank.

According to sources, the killing could be linked to a land dispute.