Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who survived an assassination attempt by militants, has ordered a state-wide alert and asked his Ministers to stay under tight security.

Sources said the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) in a meeting late on July 27 night reviewed the situation in the state in the wake of the abortive attempt on Singh's life on July 27, in which two security men were killed and six others including two civilians injured at Wangjing in Thoubal district.

Singh told the meeting, which was attended by director general of police (DGP) S Bimolchandra Singh and assistant DGP Y Joykumar Singh that the attack was directed at him (Chief Minister) and asked the SPF Ministers to stay under tight security.

If the militants wanted to take arms, they could have attacked the security personnel deployed earlier as road opening party (ROP) along the route, which was to be passed by the Chief Minister and his party, Ibobi Singh said.

Terming it as deliberate attempt on his life, the Chief Minister told a gathering to pay respects to two jawans killed in the attack that the government would not sit idle in the face of such threats from the militants.

"My government will act accordingly. We have been pursuing a policy for talks with different underground groups," he said, adding that the government was still for peace talks.

"If they don't come forward for talks, then the government should also look for another alternative," the Chief Minister told the gathering after paying floral tributes to those killed in the attack.

Official sources said top police authorities have been ordered to investigate into how the attack occurred in spite of heavy deployment of forces along the route where the Chief Minister was to pass through.

Meanwhile, sources said security measures have been tightened at all vulnerable points, with security personnel intensifying patrolling and checking of passers-by to intercept the movement of armed militants.

Brig E J Kochekan, commander of 9 sector Assam Rifles in Manipur, had said earlier that the attack on the Chief Minister's security convoy was carried out by the separatist People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed wing of Revolutionary People's Front.

But so far, no organisation or group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the life of the Manipur Chief Minister.

PTI