One hurt in militant attack at Molnom

IMPHAL, Feb 4: A civilian sustained injuries when unidentified armed
persons opened fire at Molnom village, Chandel district under Tengnoupal
police station last night.

Three youngsters of Molnom village were
taking bath in a nearby river after playing volleyball when around 15
men armed with both sophisticated weapons and double barrel shotguns
came to the river at around 7 pm.

The armed persons asked the youngsters, “Where are your insurgents? Where do they hide?”

Then the armed persons forced the youngsters to lie flat on ground before they were thrashed, informed a source.

On hearing the shouts made by one of three youngsters, local womenfolk
who were keeping a vigil against abuse of intoxicating substances rushed
to the river.

On seeing the womenfolk, the assailants opened fire and fled.

One Lunkhogin Haokip (25) s/o Paokhomang was hurt in the firing and he
is currently undergoing treatment at Raj Medicity. He was rushing
towards the direction from where the shouts were heard together with the
womenfolk when he was hit by bullets on left eye, right wrist and left
shoulder.

Even though it was pellets which hit him, the condition of his injured eye is said to be critical.

Meanwhile, a joint team of Kuki Chiefs’ Association Tengnoupal Block,
KSO Chandel and Kuki Women Human Rights visited Molnom village.

The team condemned the assault in the strongest term and they also tried their best to assuage Molnom villagers.

Notably, one civilian was shot dead by suspected NSCN-IM cadres at
Aimol Ngairong village, Chandel district on August 22 last year.

Molnom villagers have vehemently condemned the incident and urged the
authority concerned to take up necessary steps in order to prevent such
incident in future.

Members of Kuki Chiefs Associaton (KCA), Chandel
and Tengnoupal Block, Kuki Students’ Organisation, Thadou Students’
Association and other Kuki civil bodies also visited the village to take
stock of the situation.

Appealing the involved group(s) or
individual(s) not to repeat such life threatening act, the villagers
also urged the authority concerned to remove the gate at Aimol Saitu
village along old Burma road which has hampered free movement of
villagers.


Source: thesangaiexpress.com