Imphal, January 10: At least five cadres of the proscribed PREPAK were killed while one was injured when a fierce gun fight erupted between the two factions of the outfit last night at about 10 at Khordak Ichin in Bishnupur district.

The bodies have been retrieved by personnel of Mayang Imphal police and Kumbi police and deposited at RIMS morgue.

Four of the five victims have been identified.

They are, Khwairakpam Ranjit alias Nanao alias Langdaiba (25) (Sgt Maj of PREPAK) of Ningomthongjao under Singjamei PS; Hijam Roben alias Wangthoi (24) of Thoubal Nongangkhong; Ksh Sike alias Surjit (22) of Kakching Ward number 10 and Thongam Ram Singh alias Rojit (23) of Sekmaijin Bazar Maning.

The other yet to be unidentified victim is suspected to be one Premkumar of Keirenphabi.

The bodies of Ranjit and Roben were retrieved by Mayang Imphal police while the other three were retrieved by Kumbi Police.

Family members of Ranjit and Roben said that they were abducted by gunmen from a Thabal Chongba ground yesterday.

The fierce gun fight was staged on the bridge at Khordak Ichin which connects Laphupat Tera and Arong Nongmaikhong.

Laphupat Tera falls under Mayang Imphal Assembly Constituency while Arong Nongmaikhong falls under Thanga AC and under Kumbi police station.

The gun fight ensued even as a Thabal Chongba was on at the ground of the Nongmaikhong Junior High School to mark the conclusion of the one month long cricket tournament.

Not surprisingly, the gun fight ensured the premature end of the Thabal Chongba and local people said that the duel ensued for quite a while.

The sound of bomb explosions were also heard during the encounter, they said.

Local people said that about 20 armed persons were spread out along the Laphupat Tera Khunou area keeping a close tab on all who came for the Thabal Chongba.

Another 10 armed persons in camouflage fatigues also conducted a similar exercise at Arong Nongmaikhong area.

As the people started returning home after the Thabal Chongba was aborted due to the eruption of the gun fight, the local people saw a dead body lying at the Arong Nongmaikhong side.

Another three bodies were seen lying on the bridge while another body and an injured man were seen at the side of Laphu Tera side of the bridge, they recalled.

The armed persons were seen taking cover on either side of the bridge and they disappeared by converging together with the local people who were coming back from the venue of the Thabal Chongba.

On receiving information of the incident Kumbi police arrived at the scene today at 11 am and retrieved the three bodies found lying on the Arong Nongmaikhong side while leaving the other three behind on the ground that their jurisdiction does not cross the bridge.

The remaining two bodies were retrieved by a strong police team led by the Addl SP of Imphal West police and Kumbi police today at about 2 pm.

All the bodies bore multiple bullet wounds.

Numerous empty cases of 9 mm pistol and AK rifle were found scattered at the site of the encounter but most picked up by the local people before the police arrived.

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