Imphal: Manipur insurgents on September 21 made an abortive attempt on police commandos and India Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel 15 hours after seven persons were killed in an extremist-related violence, official sources said.

Timely detection of a powerful bomb planted by unidentified insurgents at Thinungei area, 35 km from Imphal, prevented a recurrence like that of September 20, the sources said.

The bomb was detected by police commandos and IRB personnel.

Minutes after the bomb was defused, the insurgents who escaped into nearby hilly jungles opened fire from a distance, and the security men also retaliated the fire, the sources said.

There was no casualty on the security side.

Today's incident was reported 15 hours after the killing of six civilians and a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawan at Sugnu in Thoubal district on September 20.

Unidentified militants had attacked a CRPF patrol party at Sugnu area, 65 km from Imphal, on September 20 killing a CRPF jawan on the spot.

Official reports from the district said the CRPF men had opened fire and in the crossfire six civilians were killed. Four of them were killed on the spot and two others later succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital, reports said.

Earlier reports had said one CRPF jawan and four persons were killed in the incident.

The sources said all the victims were taken to Regional Institute of Medical Science Hospital late last night for post mortem.

PTI