Imphal, August 16: The general strike called by different militant outfits took on a fiery tune as suspected cadres of an underground organisation set afire 11 vehicles including goods laden trucks near Keithelmanbi Khunjao and Gopibung on NH-39 yesterday.

No one was however injured in the incidents.

The All India Students' Federation, Manipur State Chapter has strongly condemned the torching of the vehicles dubbing it as acts of terrorism.

Almost all the vehicles were burnt beyond redemption.

The vehicles were set on fire between 6 am till 9.30 am yesterday.

Interacting with a team of mediapersons who had gone to the spot to get a first hand account of the incidents, local people, drivers and handy men said that the vehicles were stopped and set ablaze by unidentified gunmen.

The ill fated vehicles included two trucks carrying lentils, three trucks carrying fertilisers and one truck carrying cement.

Over and above this, two empty trucks coming from the side of Imphal were also set ablaze by the unidentified gunmen.

The eight trucks were waylaid by the armed men near Keithelmanhi Khunjao and were later driven to the confluence where the Keithelmanbi river and Kangpokpi river meet and set ablaze.

.This place is located about 1.5 kms from New Keithelmanbi.

Three other vehicles including a truck carrying Syntax water storage tanks, one Tata Sumo and one NV Scooter were stopped by the armed men near Gopibung.

All the vehicles were coming from the side of Imphal, when they were stopped by the armed men.

According to information culled from the site of the incident, two empty trucks coming from Imphal side were at first stopped near Keithelmanbi Khunjao.

A Maruti Zen was parked strategically on the highway to stop them.

Some unidentified youths then came nut and asked the drivers why they were plying their vehicles, despite a bandh being imposed.

Shortly later, the vehicles were then made to drive towards the confluence of Keithelmanbi river and Kangpokpi river.

At the confluence the drivers saw five/six young men attired in battle fatigues.

The trucks were then set ablaze by dousing them with fuel drawn from the vehicles.

The two empty trucks were the first to be burnt.

Later at about 8.30 am, the six goods laden trucks came to the site of the confluence.

The trucks were also set aflame in the same manner as the two, empty trucks earlier.

The drivers were warned not to move and after placing some men including a man equipped with a radio set to keep a watch, the rest disappeared into the nearby mountains.

Later the rest of the armed men also went away from the spot, after making the drivers face eastward.

The Tata Sumo and the truck carrying Syntax water storage tanks were also driven in to the spot at about 9.30 am and later set afire.

When the local people tried to intervene and urged the armed men not to set the vehicles aflame, they were warned not to open their mouth.

While the goods carried by some vehicles were burnt beyond redemption, the goods on some vehicles were not destroyed.

Transporters were seen trying to transfer the unspoilt goods to other trucks.

SP of Senapati rushed to the spot to take stock of situation.

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