Imphal, November 20: Caught in a cross fire between 34 Assam Rifles personnel and suspected cadres of NSCN (K) at Longmai (Noney part II), four members of a family including an 18 months old infant were killed at Tamenglong district yesterday at about 2.30 am.

A Havildar of the Assam Rifles was also killed in the shoot out.

According to reports received here the four were killed while they were running out of their house to take cover.

The four have been identified as Mathuchung Rongmei (45), his son Donthalung Rongmei (26), Donthalung's wife Chongchamlung (25) and their 18 months old child Rajaenlung.

The deceased Assam Rifles Havildar has been named as Trilok Singh.

He succumbed to his injuries sustained during the shot out.

The bodies have been deposited at RIMS morgue by the police today.

Post mortem will be performed tomorrow.

A 22 year youth old also sustained bullet injuries on the right thigh when a bullet pierced through the walls of his room while he was asleep.

The youth has been identified as Oliver Rongmei of Noney.

He was admitted to RIMS yesterday and has been discharged.

DC of Tamenglong T Pamei and the SP rushed to the site of the incident today.

Meanwhile the JAC formed in connection with the killing said that everything points to the hand of the Assam Rifles in the death of the four persons and demanded a Judicial inquiry into the incident.

The JAC also demanded that the 34 Assam Rifles be shifted from there as well as fitting ex-gratia for the killed civilians.

Supporting the stand of the JAC, the ZU, ZYF, All Zeliangrong Students' Union and ZSU, Manipur has served a 10 day ultimatum to the State Government to implement the demands of the JAC.

A team of newspersons who rushed to the site of the incident following the killing saw that there was a vast expanse of 200 metres between the spot where the NSCN (K) cadres were holed and where the Assam Rifles had taken position.

The AR had taken position near the house of the four victims and they were killed when they came running out of their house to take cover.

A member of Noney Village Authority questioned how it would be possible for the NSCN (K) cadres to open fire from such a distance and kill four persons, that too in the dark.

The four were killed by the Assam Rifles who had taken up position earlier, he maintained.

It has been about two weeks since about 200 NSCN (K) cadres had set up bunkers and stayed at the village.

A number of villagers questioned how and why the shoot out occurred as there is a cease fire agreement between the Indian Govt and the NSCN (K).

A member of the JAC said that if such an encounter was planned then necessary information should have been given to the public earlier.

The public strongly condemns such incident, he added.

Reacting to a news report carried in a daily paper today that the UNLF could have been involved in the gun fight, a villager in whose house the NSCN (K) cadres had taken shelter, said that there was not a single member who spoke in Meiteilon and discounted the involvement of the UNLF.

After the heavy gunfight the villagers fled their home stead and took shelter at Noney Part I.

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