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Militants attack politicians' houses in Manipur
Militants on Saturday opened fire on the homes of three top politicians in Manipur.
Militants opened fire on the homes of three top politicians in Manipur, police said on Saturday, describing the attack as an attempt to trigger panic ahead of elections next week.
There were no casualties when the rebels sprayed the homes of three ministers with automatic weapons fire late on Friday, police said.
"The attacks were an attempt to create panic," a police official said.
Police said they suspected the Revolutionary People's Front was behind the attacks on the homes of the ministers, who were all from the ruling Congress party in Manipur.
"There's complete panic and chaos with most of us unable to venture out of our homes for fear of militant attacks," said M Singh, a member of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party, in Imphal.
Two parliamentary seats are up for grabs in Manipur. Last Tuesday, attacks by militants and the kidnapping of poll officials marred voting for the first seat. Monday's poll will be for the second seat.
On Thursday militants killed three security officers in a remote area in Bishenpur district, 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Imphal, police said.
"There were reports of militants entering a village and warning people not to vote. When our team reached the spot they got ambushed," an official said.
"Security forces are deployed in strength but it's impossible to guard each and every inch of the area," he said.
The rebel attacks and threats have forced politicians to ditch plans for intensive campaigning.
"The situation is very tense and charged," a Congress leader said. "The militant threats are causing real problems for all parties."
