Army scalps 2 UG suspects in 'shoot out'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 03 2009: In continuing counter insurgency operation, troops of 16 Assam Rifles shot dead two suspected underground activities during an encounter which took place at Kangchup Makhom village under Sapermeina Police Station in Senapati district today morning.

PIB (Defence Wing) in a statement said that following inputs about the presence of PREPAK cadres in Kangchup Makon, a joint team of 57 Mountain Division and Imphal West police commandos rushed to the spot at about 4 am today.

Kids taking shelter following the shoot out

While the security forces were taking positions, the militants hiding in a house opened fire, said PIB and added that in the retaliatory firing two of them were killed.

The shoot out lasted for about 30 minutes, said the statement and added that one AK 47 rifle with magazine and huge quantity of lethode and AK 47 ammunition were recovered.

According to police report, the shoot out broke out near the Baptist Church located in Khundon Mayai hill of Makhom village at around 6 am today.

Talking to mediapersons at the site of the encounter, CO of 16 Assam Rifles informed that his troops were laying in wait since early morning following receipt of specific information about the presence of UGs in the area.

The encounter took place at around 6 am and exchange of firing from both sides lasted for about 20 minutes.

Two UGs were killed while the rest managed to escape.

The body of one of the slain UGs was found lying along the footpath passing through an overgrown area some 500 feet behind the building of the Church while the other body was found 100 feet away from the first along the side of a motorable road.

Apart from one AK-47 Rifles and a magazine loaded with 16 live rounds of ammunition, on lethode gun, 17 shells, pouches of the shells, haversack, a round magazine of a type of Rifles, camouflage uniforms and other assorted items have been recovered from the site of the encounter.

After the encounter, a massive search operation was launched in and around the area after herding off all the villages in the Church building.

There are around 50 households with a population of 350 people in the Kangchup Makhom village.

During the course of the search operation, the AR troops have also burnt down all the bushes in the area.

According to the chief of Kangchup Makhom village Letjal Lotjen, around 30 suspected UGs dressed in combat fatigues and equipped with sophisticated weapons came to the village last night and spend the night in a house located near the Church.

After the shooting encounter, the AR personnel organised a free medical camp for the villagers at the office of the church located below.

Meanwhile, information received by the press, a combined armed cadres of the proscribed PREPAK and NNC are likely to be involved in encounter with the AR troops.

With exception to Haochong village of Tamenglong district which can be reached from Kangchup Makhom village after walking on foot for one day, there is no other villages beyond.

The bodies of the two slain UG suspects have been picked up by the police and kept at the mortuary of RIMS Hospital here for identification and post-mortem examination.