Imphal: At least three individuals, including two minors, were injured in Manipur when a suspected improvised explosive device (IED), concealed inside an SUV, detonated on Wednesday evening.
The explosion took place between Moirang and Kwakta in the Bishnupur district.
The injured victims, aged 18, 7, and 5 years, were promptly rushed to a local hospital.
One of them, due to the critical nature of their injuries, was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Imphal, approximately 50 km away.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing the driver park the Scorpio car on a culvert before leaving the site. They confirmed that no other individuals were present in the vehicle.
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Kwakta is a Muslim-majority area, situated close to the Kuki-majority Churachandpur district, which lies less than 5 km away.
This incident follows two recent incidents of “speculative” firing, reported the day prior. One incident occurred 2 km north of Sugnu, near the border of Kakching and Churachandpur districts, while the other took place in Kangchup, near the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts.
In a separate development, Army personnel dismantled bunkers constructed by troublemakers at Leimakhong, near the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts. Furthermore, over 1,500 students from Manipur, who have been affected by the recent violence, are being enrolled in government schools in neighbouring Mizoram.
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With the continued unrest in Manipur since May 3, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has called for an all-party meeting in New Delhi on June 24 to address the situation.
This decision was made following a meeting between Home Minister Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of the NDA’s North-East Democratic Alliance.
The violence in Manipur erupted after a tribal solidarity march organized by a students’ body opposing the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. The situation remains tense, and efforts are being made at various levels to restore peace and stability in the region.