Imphal, April 19 2009: In another development that surrounds the Operation Summer Storm, the houses vacated by villagers due to fear of enduring casualties in the ongoing Operation Summer Storm at Loktak pat have been reportedly occupied by the Army by breaking the locks of the doors.

The matter came to light this morning when a villager identified as Salam ongbi Ibempishak, wife of Manibabu of Nongmaikhong Awang Leikai, who fled her home a few days back for the nearby relief camp, paid a visit to her house to attend to the domestic animals the family had left.

Speaking to reporters in a sobbing tone, Ibempishak said that she and her family locked their house and went to Ithai village where a relief camp had been opened, after the Army shelled rockets and fired numerous rounds of gun shots from the compound of their house since April 12 .

Discovering the doors of her house remaining open this morning around 9 O'clock, Ibempishak came to know that the Army personnel have been staying inside her house.

She also found that several cooking materials of her family were used up by the Army.

Seeing the condition inside her house, Ibempishak, who was gripped with fear, made a quick retreat from the place even without surveying whether the household items remained intact, she told reporters at Ithai.

After she revealed the happenings at the village, reporters went there to confirm the disclosure of the village woman.

As the Army had relaxed some restrictions which they imposed earlier, the reporters had the opportunity to travel upto Nongmaikhong Awang Leikai.

As the reporters reached a house in the locality which Ibempishak claimed to be hers, a group of Army had stopped the team of reporters and refused them entry beyond the place.

The Army had also forewarned the reporters not to turn and click their cameras toward the soldiers.

Some personnel coming out from some houses of the village were also spotted during the short stay.

The personnel were strict enough to check and frisk every passer-by.

Army personnel occupying the watch-towers of forest personnel at Keibul Lamjao, Nongmaikhong, and Khordak were a common sight.

They were also seen occupying and taking position atop mobile phone towers.

Reacting to the assertion of GOC, 57 Mountain Division, Maj Gen Shakti Gurung that no collateral damage has been caused in the operation, an inmate of a relief camp at Ithai Community Hall said that the Major General was telling a lie.

He asked if it was not a damage caused to the civilians by the Army breaking the locks of the doors of villagers' houses and causing trouble to the villagers.

A total number of 879 people have been taking shelter at the Ithai Community Hall.

There is no report of a single person returning home from relief camps so far.

Some children and women have fallen ill from various diseases and infections.

Among them, 42 persons including women and children were suffering from dysentery.

Meanwhile, relief materials from the government side have reached the relief camp at Laphupat Tera where around 320 people are taking shelter.

The district administration of Bishnupur has distributed 39 bags of rice and other edible items apart from contributions from various individuals.

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