Imphal, November 01 2008: A SUSPECTED hardcore cadre of the KCP(MC) was gunned down by a combined force of Imphal west police commandos and troops of 16 Assam Rifles near Khonlou village at Kolien along the NH-53 under Sepermaina police station this evening at around 5.20 pm, official reports said.

The combined force recovered a 9 mm pistol loaded with four live ammunitions, the report added.

Police report while stating that the suspect was killed in an encounter said that the combined forces who entered to the area based on information of loitering some anti-social elements asked some persons moving in a suspicion manner to stop.

Suspects instead of giving positive reply to the call of the security forces fired toward them in which they retaliated which resulted to the killing of one of them.

Other managed good to their escape in the darkness of the place to the uphill, the report said.

Police later retrieved the dead body from the spot and deposited at RIMS morgue for official identification.

They suspect the slain man to be a hardcore cadre of the KCP (MC).

The slain man seems to be of age around 40-year, wear grey colour trouser, white T-shirt.

He had a fair complexion.