Newmai News Network Kangpokpi | June 8 The General Secretary of Kuki Liberation Organization/Kuki Liberation Army (KLO/KLA) was shot dead this morning at a shop in Thangkanphai bazar in Saikul under Kangpokpi district by an unidentified armed man. The incident reportedly took place when the KLO/KLA leader was purchasing supplies at a shop in Thangkanphai bazar located just a stone throw from Saikul Police Station after dropping off his children to school. Reports said the armed men shot him from his back and he died on the spot. The deceased KLO/KLA General Secretary was identified as Letkhosei Haokip @ Timothy @ Seiboi, s/o Khuplun Khongsai. Postmortem was conducted at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal today. Meanwhile, United People’s Front, one of the two umbrella organisations of Kuki underground outfits strongly condemned the killing of the KLO/KLA General Secretary in the strongest term and termed the incident as ‘very unfortunate’. UPF Information and Publicity Secretary, Thanglenlal Doungel said that the brutal murder of KLO/KLA should be condemned by all civil society organizations and like-minded people in the society saying such killing in the society should stop once and for all. He said that the society is struggling for peace and harmony and added that such killings have no place in society. He also urged the Kuki people not to endorse such killing but to come forward to stop such act. Civil society organizations of Saikul including Kuki Inpi and Kuki Student Organisation (KSO) also vehemently condemned the killing of Timothy @ Seiboi. "The Kuki Inpi and KSO are opposed to factional killings among Kuki underground groups as it disturb peace in the land," the two organizations said and added that this kind of killing only leads to vendetta and further bloodshed in the land. The Kuki Inpi and KSO strongly condemned the individuals or groups responsible for the killing and demanded that the assailants make known the reason behind the killing to the public. They also appealed to the people of the area for maintaining peace and calm.
