Phalong shoot out leaves behind a trail of destruction
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Daniel Kamei
Tamenglong, November 13 2013:
Apart from lost of human lives, the fierce gun battle that broke out between armed cadres of NSCN: IM and Zeliangrong United Front/ Tiger Force (ZUF) at Phalong (Bhalok) village of Tamenglong yesterday left behind a trail of destruction on private and public properties.
At least four private houses and one school building ( Phalong Junior High School) suffered the impact of the shoot out.
Apart from the destruction caused to the private houses, properties and other belongings of the occupants were also damaged in the firing and bomb blast, which lasted for more than 5 hours.
The worse damaged house belonged to one Lanrilung s/o Kakangam.
Phalong (Bhalok) village authority has strongly condemned the encounter which took placed at the heart of the village creating panic among the villagers.
"It was during school hours that the encounter broke out.
Innocent young children were scared.
Young and old people of Phalong fled in panic and many of them are yet to return back", Aphian, resident of Phalong village told Hueiyen lanpao.
At the same time, the villagers have thanked both the armed outfit for respecting their request to stop the gunfight and urged the two armed outfits not to repeat such encounters in the village in the future.
The villagers also expressed their sincere gratitude to Zeliangrong civil societies for their help and cooperation extended towards the village.
Meanwhile, Tamenglong police and 13 Assam Rifles along with villagers carried out a search in the encounter site this afternoon and reportedly recovered 11 unexploded hand grenades and lethod bombs.
Suspecting that might be many more such explosive, it is said that the search would continue tomorrow as well.
It may be noted here that three cadres of Zeliangrong United Front/ Tiger Force (ZUF) were killed and one NSCN: IM cadre sustained injuries on his head in the shootout.
The bodies of the slain cadres were brought to the district HQs and the post-mortem was carried out at the district hospital Tamenglong after they were identified by their respective family members.
They were identified as one Pougailung s/o (Late) Patong of Namkaoluang- II (Taolingpung) Khoupum; Niamthaipou s/o Kaguithon of Thingdingmun, Khoupum and Khongailung s/o Poudonrei of Chantila, Jiribam.