GUWAHATI: Suspected NSCN (IM) terrorists gunned down five persons at a polling station in Chandel district of Manipur, hours after polling of the 60-member state assembly started on Saturday.
Police said the dead included a CRPF soldier, three home guards on duty and a woman voter at Tampi in Chandel assembly constituency at about 1 pm. Polling started at 7 am.
The terrorists are believed to have attempted a booth capture, which failed when security forces deployed at the polling stations retaliated. One of the attackers has been injured in the retaliatory firing by security personnel and has been nabbed.
Of the 2,357 polling stations in the state, only 160 are classified as normal by the Election Commission, with 1,325 termed sensitive and 872 hyper-sensitive. The elections are being held under the security cover by 350 companies of paramilitary forces apart from the state's own security resources. The army also has its deployment on counter-insurgency operations while the Assam Rifles and BSF guard the border with Myanmar, where NE militants are mostly based.
Chandel district situated in the southern tip of Manipur borders Myanmar in the east and south. The district is also one the Naga-dominated hill districts of the state. The NSCN (IM) has strong presence in the four Naga-dominated districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel. Its general secretary Th Muivah is from Ukhrul district in Manipur.
The ministry of home affairs has earlier expressed its worry about involvement of NSCN (IM) in Manipur elections, particularly in the 11 Naga-dominated constituencies in the hill districts of the state and has ordered security forces to use maximum force against all outfits involved in poll related violence in the state.
On Friday in two separate attacks by militants, two CRPF jawans and a woman were killed two others injured in Ukhrul district.
Ahead of assembly polls scheduled on January 28, an IED blast outside the residence of Manipur speaker, Hemochandra Singh, the Congress candidate for Sangjemei constituency on Sunday. The seven Meitei outfits, which have jointly banned the Congress from any electioneering owned responsibility for the blast. Earlier an IED was recovered form in front of the Congress headquarters in Imphal. Security forces have also killed at least four militants so far.
A key MHA official said, "We have been receiving several complaints about NSCN (IM)'s interference. We have evidence of the outfit's direct involvement in the election in Manipur in terms of putting up proxy candidates."
The 11 Naga-dominated constituencies in the four hill districts are crucial for any party to claim power in the 60-member assembly. These 11 constituencies have always sent only members from the Naga community to the assembly. In the plural state, the Nagas are the second community after the dominant Meitei community and they mostly
live in the hill districts along the third largest group, Kukis, while the Meiteis are concentrated in the valley.
Nagaland's ruling party, Naga Peoples' Front (NPF) is making its debut in Manipur elections and has fielded 11 Naga candidates and a Kuki candidate, which has fuelled fresh debate over Nagas' demand for territorial integrity. While launching the election campaign NPF chief and Nagaland chief minister Neiphir Rio told an election rally in Manipur's Tadubi the NPF's entry into Manipur politics is aimed at "integrating the Nagas politically."
Police said the dead included a CRPF soldier, three home guards on duty and a woman voter at Tampi in Chandel assembly constituency at about 1 pm. Polling started at 7 am.
The terrorists are believed to have attempted a booth capture, which failed when security forces deployed at the polling stations retaliated. One of the attackers has been injured in the retaliatory firing by security personnel and has been nabbed.
Of the 2,357 polling stations in the state, only 160 are classified as normal by the Election Commission, with 1,325 termed sensitive and 872 hyper-sensitive. The elections are being held under the security cover by 350 companies of paramilitary forces apart from the state's own security resources. The army also has its deployment on counter-insurgency operations while the Assam Rifles and BSF guard the border with Myanmar, where NE militants are mostly based.
Chandel district situated in the southern tip of Manipur borders Myanmar in the east and south. The district is also one the Naga-dominated hill districts of the state. The NSCN (IM) has strong presence in the four Naga-dominated districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel. Its general secretary Th Muivah is from Ukhrul district in Manipur.
The ministry of home affairs has earlier expressed its worry about involvement of NSCN (IM) in Manipur elections, particularly in the 11 Naga-dominated constituencies in the hill districts of the state and has ordered security forces to use maximum force against all outfits involved in poll related violence in the state.
On Friday in two separate attacks by militants, two CRPF jawans and a woman were killed two others injured in Ukhrul district.
Ahead of assembly polls scheduled on January 28, an IED blast outside the residence of Manipur speaker, Hemochandra Singh, the Congress candidate for Sangjemei constituency on Sunday. The seven Meitei outfits, which have jointly banned the Congress from any electioneering owned responsibility for the blast. Earlier an IED was recovered form in front of the Congress headquarters in Imphal. Security forces have also killed at least four militants so far.
A key MHA official said, "We have been receiving several complaints about NSCN (IM)'s interference. We have evidence of the outfit's direct involvement in the election in Manipur in terms of putting up proxy candidates."
The 11 Naga-dominated constituencies in the four hill districts are crucial for any party to claim power in the 60-member assembly. These 11 constituencies have always sent only members from the Naga community to the assembly. In the plural state, the Nagas are the second community after the dominant Meitei community and they mostly
live in the hill districts along the third largest group, Kukis, while the Meiteis are concentrated in the valley.
Nagaland's ruling party, Naga Peoples' Front (NPF) is making its debut in Manipur elections and has fielded 11 Naga candidates and a Kuki candidate, which has fuelled fresh debate over Nagas' demand for territorial integrity. While launching the election campaign NPF chief and Nagaland chief minister Neiphir Rio told an election rally in Manipur's Tadubi the NPF's entry into Manipur politics is aimed at "integrating the Nagas politically."
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