Date:10/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021004761200.htm

National

"6 CRPF men killed in Ukhrul"

Correspondent

"Slain personnel were escorting poll officials"

Army rushes to scene No damage to EVMs

IMPHAL: The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) claims that its military wing killed at least six CRPF personnel, escorting polling officials, in Manipur's Ukhrul district on Friday morning.

Police and Election Department officials said they had heard of the ambuscade near Ningchang village, but there was no official information. Army and paramilitary forces have rushed to the area to track down the insurgents.

A UNLF spokesman told mediapersons that cadres of the Manipur People 's Army (MPA) carried out the ambush at 9.30 a.m. as the election officials were bringing electronic voting machines to Imphal, after Thursday's first phase of Assembly elections. The dead were personnel of 511 Central Reserve Police Force. The insurgents also snatched away two self-loading rifles and a light machine gun.

According to reports, there was no damage to or loss of the EVMs in the attack which, the UNLF said, was carried out in connection with the 20th anniversary of the MPA.

2 youths gunned down

On Thursday night, police commandos gunned down two youths, said to be insurgents, in an encounter in Imphal East district. One AK 47 rifle was recovered from the dead. Earlier some insurgents attacked a police squad, which had gone to the district to defuse a planted bomb.