Kuki militants attack farmers, kill woman

Our Correspondent
MOIRANG, Nov 9 : Tension has flared up in Manipur yet again as another farmer was gunned down by Kuki militants in Bishnupur today.
The deceased has been identified as Sapam Sofia (34), w/o Sapam Dayanand of Wathalambi Santipur, Saiton Gram Panchayat under Phougakchao Ikhai police station.
It is reported that Sofia was working at Wathalambi Loukol owned by one Salam Anand when a group of  Kuki militants came down from Sandhong Hill of Dampi Reserved Forest Range and opened indiscriminate fire at the farmers  at around 10.30 am.
While other farmers managed to flee to a safe place, Sofia got hit by one of the bullets and died at the spot.
Sofia left behind three children.
Additional team of Bishnupur police rushed to the spot shortly after the attack.
Peeved by the irres-ponsive nature of the Central forces, the locals took the corpse of Sofia from her village and kept it at the campus of Wathalambi Primary School where a company of BSF is stationed.
The locals demanded that the corpse should not be taken anywhere  until the killers are booked.
The corpse was taken to RIMS mortuary after the locals held a meeting with Kumbi MLA S Premananda and Bishnupur SP Ksh Ravikumar.
The SP has reportedly assured to  lodge a complaint against the commander of the BSF (C/16) for negligence of duty and to take action against him.
A case has also been registered at Phougakchao Ikhai police station.
As per an eye witness, the Kuki militants fired at the farmers from a distance as close as 100 metres.
Saying that the farmers ran amok  as they didn't anticipate the attack, he    added that the corpse of Sofia was found later when locals searched for her after the attack.
He also said that there were scratch marks and bullet injuries on Sofia's body.
Saying that a company of central forces is  stationed in the area close to site of attack, he added that Sofia wouldn't have died had the Central forces did their duty.