Imphal, October 21: In an apparent case of rival feud, three activists of the Kuki National Army (KNA) have been gunned down at an Ikou Bazar residence last night besides decamping with five weapons.

The incident which took place under the jurisdiction of Saikul police station occurred at around 11 pm, as per eyewitness account of two survivors among whom include a female accomplice of one of the deceased.

Speculating that the killing might be a fallout of rivalry between the KNA and another Kuki militant group, one of the injured Konjengbam Ibohanbi (26) s/o Manglem of Ikou Bazar said some unidentified camouflage-clad persons shot down the front door and barged into the interior rooms.

Once inside the room the gunmen opened fired killing two youths on the spot before reaching for the exterior room of the house and slain another person.

According to Ibohanbi, the deceased KNA activists and a woman identified as Nongmaithem Abecha alias Ichan (24) d/o (L) N Ibochou of Litanpokpi Liklikhong were staying at his (Ibohanbi) residence for the past five days.

Last night at around 11 a sudden burst of gunfire was followed by the unidentified gunmen barging into the house and going on the killing spree.

Ibohanbi, who suffered injury on the right palm in the shooting, rushed out of the house along with his wife, a young son and aged parents through the backdoor and took refuge at a nearby house.

As per statement of Abecha, one of the deceased KNA activist was her partner for about a year whom she identified as one Laishram James (26) of Naoremthong Shamushang Boroi Makhong.

James, she said, was an important functionary of the KNA outfit and they became familiar when James moved from one place to another location to escape being held/killed by another UG group as well as security personnel.

James, who had confessed to Abecha of being a prominent KNA activist, is claimed to have courted her when she accepted his invitation and since that day had been staying together as her parents rejected her return to home.

While accompanying James to Chakpikarong and other hideouts mostly in hill areas, Abecha became more familiar with other KNA cadres, said the 24 year woman who lost one of her left fingers.

Recounting last night�s incident, Abecha said after the gunmen shot dead two of James� armed accomplices and saw the assailants enter their (James/Abecha) room she covered James� as the gunmen trained their weapon at her partner�s head.Despite her fervent plea, the gunmen pulled the trigger smashing James� skull part from severing her little finger.

While expressing that possibility of either KRA or KNF activists� involvement in the bloody carnage could not be ruled out, Abecha�s suspicion, however, tilted more towards the former group.

She further confessed that inspite of James being an important functionary of the KNA his exact rank remained unknown while suspecting the two other deceased to be Jampao (19) of Moreh and Lelet (24) from Churachandpur.

Arms recovered from the slain trio include three AK series rifle, two pistols of 9 mm calibre, a mobile phone handset, four torch lights and an amount of about Rs 20,000.The gunmen also took Abecha into the kitchen room and threatened to shoot her but somehow she was spared.

Both the injured Ibohanbi and Abecha were brought to JN Hospital this morning but have been shifted to Shija Hospital at Langol.

Apart from Saikul police registering a case on the incident, the bodies had been handed over to respective family members on completion of post mortem at Saikul itself.

meanwhile, police sources confirming occurrence of the bloody incident identified the deceased persons as Laishram James (30) s/o L Ranjit of Naoremthong Uku, Doulet Khongsai (25) s/o Janghen Khongsai of Heijang village in Churachandpur district and Thangjangam Vaiphei (27) s/o Thangmei Vaiphei of Litan in Ukhrul district.

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