Imphal, Jul 13 UNA: Self styled home secretary of Kuki Liberation Organisation (KLO)/Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), a signatory of the suspension of operation agreement with Centre and state, Lh Seikhohao Khongsai (33) was Saturday assassinated by unknown gunmen who also wounded his two and a half year old daughter and his driver.
His wife Mansaunnei escaped unhurt in the ambush laid by the gunmen who opened fired towards the vehicle in which the home secretary was traveling with his family. The family was returning to their native village Saikul in Senapati district after shopping in Imphal this afternoon.
The ambush took place around 3.30 pm near a culvert at Champhai village on the Imphal-Saikul road. Home secretary Seikhohao succumbed to multiple bullet injuries at the spot.
His two and half year old daughter Hoizoukim who was hit by a bullet in her belly has been rushed to Shija hospital, Imphal where her condition was stated to be critical.
The driver of the home secretary received a bullet in his thigh in the ambush and admitted to a hospital in Imphal.
According to the driver Alen Khongsai, the unknown gunmen who suddenly appeared in front of the vehicle while crossing the culvert on the road opened fire several rounds of guns towards the vehicle.
After he was hit by a bullet, he jumped down from the vehicle and ran away from the spot for his safety. He had seen at least four/five gunmen appearing in front of the vehicle, the driver added when asked the number of gunmen involved in the ambush.
The daughter was in the lap of the home secretary when the gunmen laid the ambush.
Police was yet to establish the suspects behind the assassination of the self styled home secretary of the KLO/KLA maintaining suspension of operation with the security forces under a tripartite agreement with the Centre and state government.
The area where the ambush took place was dominated by the KLO/KLA and considering the operational area of Kuki based militant groups, it was hard to establish the group which could be behind the ambush, a police officer said.
The KLO/KLA is one of the constituents of 12 militant groups of Kuki National Organisation which have entered tripartite suspension of operation with Centre and state government for peace talk.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/klokla-home-secretary-killed/
