Imphal, January 31: At least one person died on the spot while two had a miraculous escape when a team of 38 Assam Rifles informed to belong to the battalion�s A-Company opened fire at the church premises of Khoken village under Sapermeina PS today at about 12.30 pm.

later, in the evening several Kuki organisations, taking grim note of firing at innocent persons has called for a 24 hour State wide general strike coming into effect from 6 am of February 2. However PIB (Defence Wing) has a different story to tell.

In a statement, PIB said that troops of 38 Assam Rifles came under heavy firing from militants while carrying out patrolling near Khoken village today at about 12 pm.

Due to the reckless firing by the militants, three civilians were injured claimed PIB and quoted villagers as stating that the armed militants had been operating in the area in a group of 15 to 20 for the past two weeks.

One later succumbed to his injuries.

A similar gun fight had occurred at Haibong and Aigejang villages on January 17 and 30 respectively, added PIB.

The Assam Rifles troops had to retaliate in self defence, said the statement and added that the militants escaped by taking advantage of the large number of houses and villagers in the area.

Search for the militants is in progress.

In the follow up action, the troops recovered SLR magazines containing 68 rounds of ammunition and fired shells of lathode.

On the other hand, villagers had a different story to tell.

Providing details on the incident to this reporter one of the survivors Douyang Haokip said ten women and four men labourers were engaged in earth (digging) work inside the compound of Khoken village Baptist Church from about 9 am.

The earth work is informed to be in preparation for erecting a memorial stone for the golden jubilee celebration of the Church slated for February 20. Douyang contended that about 50 AR personnel from the Kotlen camp showed up amid sporadic blank firing while the workers were taking a break.

Despite vocal plea that all those present at the Church compound are innocent persons/labourers two AR men moved in and shot dead one of the four men with the victim hit on the chest area, narrated the survivor.

Even as the security personnel rained bullets particularly targeting the male workers two managed to avoid being hit on vital body parts as instinctive movements resulted in injuries to their shoulders, he recalled.

The deceased, whose body is lying at RIMS morgue, has been identified as Henpu Singsit (30) s/o Paolun Singsit of Khoken village and injured persons as Seiminthang (19) s/o (L) Jangkhon Haokip of Kotlen and Leikholal Haokip (29) s/o Haokhomei Haokip of Khoken village.

Both are undergoing treatment at RIMS Hospital.

In a hurriedly organised press conference this evening advisor of Kuki Students� Organisation (KSO/HQs) apao Haokip condemning the firing incident and proclaiming the general strike said that civil society organisations would await what response the incident generates from the State Government before taking recourse to further agitation.

Besides KSO, the strike call is being jointly given by Kuki Movement for Human Rights and Apunba Lup.

Demanding that stringent punitive action be initiated against those involved in the firing, Apao also urged authority concerned to fix responsibility against all involved in the act of defiling sanctity of a religious place (Church).

joining the media briefing, co-ordinator of Apunba Lup Babloo Laishram asserted that the general strike would be enforced at any cost without any leniency and prevailed upon politicians to defer election-related programmes during the strike period.

The Lup�s other co-ordinator Phulindro Konsam construed the AR act as another dimension of cruelty and human rights violation perpetrated by security force personnel under the immunity granted by AFSPA.

Reminding that the draconian Act do not guarantee or differentiate between life of the hill or valley people, Babloo affirmed the Lup would not leave any stone unturned in taking the people�s movement for repealing AFSPA to its logical end.

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