Imphal, Oct. 22: Unidentified persons killed three more civilians in Manipur in two separate incidents in Imphal West and Imphal East districts late last night.

Police said unidentified persons gunned down a brick kiln labourer, Wahengbam Samunou, and shot at another youth, Aheibam Oken, both residents of Takyel Kolom Leikai in Imphal West around 8.30 last night.

Two more youths were gunned down at Yourabung in Imphal East district last night. The bodies of Yaikhom Langam and Ningthoujam Sanathoi, both in their twenties and residents of Yourabung, were recovered by the police from the village this morning.

This is the second incident of killing of civilians from this village since Wednesday. Activists of Prepak had gunned down three youths from the locality on Wednesday night. A statement signed by Aheiba Angom, in charge of Prepak’s publicity and propaganda wing, said on Saturday night that the three were punished for collecting money from government offices in the name of the outfit and also for activities that tarnished its image.

Outraged by the fresh killings, protesters blocked the Imphal-Jiribam road briefly this morning before staging a sit-in.

Oken, who is now battling for life at the special ward of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), told the police that they were abducted from near their homes last night and shot at after being taken to Heinoubok, a neighbouring village.

Three local organisations, including a meira paibi (women activists) group, today formed a joint committee to seek justice.

Condemning the attacks, members of the committee, at a public meeting, set Wednesday as the deadline for the Okram Ibobi Singh government to find the culprits and punish them.

The meeting also resolved that if the government failed to arrest the killers, the members would impose a blockade along the Imphal-Jiribam road from Thursday.

The residents also asked the group behind the attack to clarify its motive behind the killing by Wednesday, failing which the committee will boycott all the armed groups of Manipur.

The police also suspect a militant group but are clueless about the motive.

The body of the brick kiln labourer, Wahengbam Samunou, is now at RIMS’s forensic wing as his family and members of the committee refused to accept it. The committee also demanded ex gratia by the government to the bereaved family.

The meira paibis (women activists) of the village appealed to the armed groups to stop killing civilians.