Imphal: Unidentified persons exploded two bombs and attempted to blow up a culvert bridge on the NH 37 connecting Imphal to Silchar in Assam via the Jiribam district of Manipur on Saturday.
The bridge was partly damaged due to the explosions, but transportation of vehicles over the bridge is still ongoing.
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The bridge was constructed at Leinganglon, between the villages of Longa Koireng and Beiji, under the Keithelmanbi police station of Kangpokpi district.
Local people heard the sound of a loud bang in these villages. Explosives were also found at the scene. The blasts caused cracks in the tracks under the culvert of the bridge.
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The police said that there had been a conspiracy to blow up the bridge with detonators and that the accused would be caught soon. So far, no outfit has claimed responsibility for the blast.
The explosion under the bridge happened at a time when the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), one of the powerful tribal outfits in Manipur, imposed an indefinite economic blockade on two National Highways (NHs) – Imphal Silchar and Imphal Dimapur – on August 18.
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The COTU is demanding a proper supply of essential commodities to the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas of Manipur.
Around 300 goods-laden trucks plying towards Imphal from Assam and Nagaland are stranded on NH 02 to date at the Nagaland border.
The police have increased security in the area and are conducting searches to find the culprits.