Guwahati: Two petrol bombs were hurled at the Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR) office at Risa Colony on Wednesday afternoon, with one of the explosives setting a staff member’s car on fire inside the compound.

The incident took place at around 3.30 pm, while the office was operational and employees and drivers were present on the premises. No injuries were reported.

DMR Director M.B. Tongper said he was attending a meeting when he heard a noise resembling bottles breaking outside. Officials subsequently noticed a fire inside the office compound.

According to sources, one petrol bomb struck the boundary wall, while the second landed inside the premises and hit a Maruti Alto (ML05 AC 0429) belonging to a woman employee. The fire was brought under control within four to five minutes.

Police and Fire and Emergency Services were alerted following the incident, while the Deputy Commissioner was also informed.

Two FIRs have been filed in connection with the incident – one by Tongper and another by the owner of the damaged vehicle. Personnel from Laitumkhrah Police Station questioned witnesses, while DMR officials handed over CCTV footage from the premises to investigators.

Police are examining the CCTV recordings and other available evidence to determine how the attackers approached the office.

The DMR office had not previously reported an attack of this nature.

Later, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, accompanied by Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammed and other senior officials, visited the office to assess the damage. Sangma said the state government would cover the cost of repairing the employee’s damaged vehicle.

The Chief Minister also announced plans to strengthen CCTV surveillance at government offices across Meghalaya, as part of broader security measures following a series of attacks. Tongper said Sangma conveyed the decision during his visit to the office.

The attack on the DMR office comes amid a series of petrol bomb incidents targeting government establishments and police stations in Shillong.

On September 12, two unidentified individuals riding a two-wheeler allegedly threw two petrol bombs at Laban Police Station around 2.30 am. Earlier, on August 20, a petrol bomb was thrown into the compound of Nongmensong Police Station at around 9.30 pm, setting a chair on fire. No injuries were reported in either incident.