Imphal, December 09 2008: THREE INCLUDING two civilian truckers and another said to be PREPAK cadre wounded in last night encounter with Thoubal police commandos brought up at Shija Hospital, Langol this morning even as four of the five PREPAK cadres killed in the encounter have been identified today.

Mention may be made that five cadres of the PREPAK outfit have been killed in the encounter with the Thoubal police commandos last night at around 8.40 pm at Langathel Laingamching under Kakching police station in Thoubal district with the seizer of a lathod gun with 10 lethod bombs and two AK series rifles with large quantity of live ammunitions and a hand grenade from the clash site.

The three wounded people who were in the truck with the undergrounds have been confirmed as two truckers and a cadre of the PREPAK today.

They were found with bullets wounds in the truck by the police commandos in the aftermath of the cessation of the firing, the official said.

They were immediately evacuated at Thoubal district hospital but later this morning referred to Shija Hospital, Langol.

The condition of the driver of the tipper named Yumnam Chaoba of Laphupat Tera is stated to be still critical.

He was operated to take out bullets to his body, source said.

The condition of other civilian said to be handyman of the tipper named Moirangthem Ibomcha (35) son of M Romen haling from Koirengei Makha Leikai and that of the lone surviving militant named Laimujam Hemanta (35) son of Maimu of Wangjing Tentha were out of danger, it added.

Identities of the four of the five slain undergrounds have also been identified today.

They were Huidrom Kokngang (32) son of Ibotombi of Wabagai Tera Pishak, Loitongbam Naobi @ Dinesh (33) son of Amuyaima of Sagolband Tera Langjing Acohuba, Ningthoujam Bhogen (36) son of Itomba of Heirok part-II and Yengkhom Bungo (23) son of Sanatomba of Bishnupur ward-2 .

Meanwhile, injured Ibomcha said that they were forced to drop the armed undergrounds to the tipper at Khongjam Bazar last evening at around 6.30 pm.

"Around seven armed men intruded to their makeshift camp at Phundrei village for digging a pond while they were preparing dinner and asked them to go with them upto Khongjom Bazar with the tipper at gun point," he said.

Four of the armed men occupied the front seat of the tipper and he along with five other sit in the back of the vehicle, he said.

When they reached Langathel, police gave signal to stop with torch light and all of a sudden, police started firing towards the vehicle in which the armed men retaliated resulting in the exchange of fire for about an hour, he recalled the incident.

He jump down from the vehicle and ran towards the river bank by shouting that he is the driver and hide to his sister's home at Langathel, he added.

The encounter occurred when well armed cadres coming into a tipper fired upon the Thoubal police commandos having a closed vigilant on the movement of militants at Langathel village located under Kakching police station at around 8.40 pm.

"The militants opened fired when the vehicle (MN03P-0067) coming out from a nearby village was stopped for checking," a senior police officer said here adding that five of them killed in the exchange of fire that lasted for about one hour.

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