Imphal, April 04 2009: At least five youths suspected to be underground activists have been gunned down by police commandos and troops of Assam Rifles at separate places today.

Two of the suspects were gunned down by the Imphal west police commandos tonight at around 9.40 pm near the state election office, Lamphel under Lamphel police station while the rest two were gunned down by the Thoubal police commandos in a joint operation with the troops of 24 Assam Rifles and 26 Assam Rifles early today at around 3.30 am at Nongada under Lamlai police station.

From the slain men near the election office, Lamphel, police recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with three life rounds and a hand grenade while the combined force claimed recovery of an AK-56 rifles, one 9mm pistol and a hand from the two suspects killed at Nongada.

Police said all the four were killed in encounters between suspected undergrounds and police commands and combined force.

The identities of the two slain youths killed at Nongada have been established today even though police have deposited the two dead bodies retrieved from Lamphel encounter site at RIMS morgue.

However, family members who established the identities of the slain persons alleged that the two have been killed after picked up by a combined force from a house at Nungoi Huidrom last night at around 12.30 am.

One of the slain men was idenitified as Oinam Premjit alias Tondonba (22) son of Rajendro of Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou while the other one as Khwairakpam Kunja @ Konthou (25), son of kh Chinglensana of Thanga Ethinga Leikai.

According to the family of the Kunja, he had joint the outlaw UNLF some seven year back.

He might a lance corporal of the outfit.

Premjit also had left home some six year back to join UNLF.

Premjit's family is a relative of the youth named Salam Joy who was shot dead by miscreants yesterday evening at around 7 pm.

Joy was a retired KCP activists who joined the outfit 10 year back.

After conducting postmortem at RIMS morgue, the dead bodies of the three youths including at of Joy have been taken by the respective families today.

In yet another incident that took place at Yangoipat near Keinou Thongkha under Nambol PS in Bishnpur district around 11 pm tonight, a combined force of police commandos and 4/8 GR shot dead a youth.

One AK 56 assault rifle is reported to have been recovered from the dead youth who is yet to be identified.

On the other hand, the dead body of another youth identified as Noor Khan who was killed by a combined force of Thoubal police commandos and troops of Assam Rifles on April 2 has been received by the family after postmortem today.

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