IMPHAL, November 19: At least two cadres of the United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) were killed in a fierce gunfight that broke out between two rival factions of the outfit at Laikot Village under Nungba Police Station, Tamenglong district on November 18 around 9:30 pm.
According to reports received by this daily, the site where the firing took place lies around 35 km south-east of Nungba Police Station.
The gunfight took place between heavily armed cadres of factions of UTLA (Robert Group). UTLA had only two factions earlier led by Robert and SK Thadou, before another faction broke off from the Robert group.
The reports said cadres belonging to two factions of the Robert group were holding a meeting for unification when some cadres of one the groups suddenly opened fire killing two of the rival cadres.
Cadres of the rival factions left the place after engaging in a fierce gunfight for a while, it said.
On hearing the news of the firing, a police team rushed to the spot today around 11.30 am and recovered two dead bodies.
The dead bodies will be brought to JNIMS morgue tomorrow for post mortem examination. Identity of the two deceased could not be established so far.
However, it is believed that one of them might be from Kaimai and the other one from Churachandpur, the reports added.