Imphal, May 11: Security forces on Monday recovered and defused two high-intensity improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from abandoned houses in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, weeks after a deadly bomb attack in the same area killed two children.
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According to officials, the explosives were found inside two houses belonging to members of the Meitei community at Tronglaobi Maning Leikai Guru Khana village under Moirang police station in Bishnupur district.
The village, which once had around 50 households, was largely deserted following the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023, which led to arson, displacement and widespread unrest across the state.
Police said residents had recently begun returning to the village to clean and restore their homes as part of ongoing peace and reconciliation initiatives.
Following information about the explosives, Moirang police sought assistance from the CID (Technical) Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS). The BDS team reached the village and safely defused both IEDs around 12:45 pm before handing them over to Moirang police station for further investigation.
Local residents alleged that suspected armed militants may have planted the explosives to intimidate families attempting to resettle in the area.
Police identified the owners of the targeted houses as Ningthoujam Ibomcha (54) and Rambo (36). A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.
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The recovery comes amid heightened tensions following the April 7 bomb attack in Tronglaobi village that killed a five-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister. The Manipur government later handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam recently stated that five persons had been arrested in connection with the case.
In a separate incident, police reported that unidentified persons allegedly hurled a hand grenade at the residence of an IndiGo Airlines manager in Imphal East district early Monday. The grenade, however, failed to explode and was later recovered by a Bomb Disposal Squad team from inside the house at Kongpal Khaidem Leikai under Porompat police station.
