Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, July 03:
A major of the Artillery Brigade of the Indian Army and a corporal of the United National Liberation Front were killed during a close-quarters encounter early this morning at Jirighat in Cachar district of Assam, according to sources in the Assam police.
Acting on information, a team of the Artillery Brigade posted at Cachar Sriba this morning around 4 o�clock rounded up and broke into the house of one Kh Jamani Singh of Bakhal Awang Leikai under the Jirighat police station on the Assam side of the border.
Immediately a brief and fierce encounter took place between the team and a corporal of the UNLF, who had been taking shelter in the house.
The Army major who was heading the operation and the UNLF corporal were killed in the encounter, the sources said.
The deceased UNLF corporal was identified as Nongmeikapam Ibouchou alais Muba, 31, of Singjamei Kshetri Leikai.
He reportedly received multiple bullet injuries and died instantly in the kitchen.
However, the name of the decease Army major was not yet available.
He was reportedly hit by two bullets in the head and succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital.
After the encounter, the Army personnel recovered a 9 mm pistol and a hand grenade from the house.
On the other hand, the seven members of the family who took cover on the ceiling of the house in the nick of time were not hurt in the encounter.
Another member of the family, an elderly woman, who was taking cover in a nook of the house unable to climb up the ceiling, was neither hurt.
Meanwhile, according to another source, seven persons of the area including the eldest son of Jamini, Kh Birjit, who were forced by the personnel to carry the body, were later arrested by the personnel.
They were identified as A Bidabujoy, Kh Birjit, A Ibunghal, M Amudol, Kh Ganga, M Dhaneshore and A Basanta Sharma.