Imphal Oct 30 (IANS): A 41-year-old trader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Manipur's border town of Moreh, the state police said.

"At 7.32 p.m. on Saturday evening, Dhamendra Mabik and his wife Chanda were preparing dinner in their house adjacent to his electronics shop when the assailants barged in and fired shots at close range. The husband was hit in the head and chest while the wife was hit in the upper chest. We are exploring possible extortion bid from militants," the police said in a statement.

Chanda, who was 24 weeks pregnant, is battling for her life in a hospital in Imphal.

Intelligence sources told IANS on Sunday that there was a possibility of business rivalry.

To protest the gun attack, the Chamber of Commerce of Moreh shut down all shops and business establishments at the town on the border with Myanmar.

Tourists and traders were stranded since they could not go on shopping at Namphalong across the international border.