Imphal, April 7: In a fresh incident of violence, at least two children were killed and their mother sustained injuries after a bomb attack by suspected Kuki militants in Manipur’s Bishnupur district early Tuesday, officials said. According to a police official in Imphal, a powerful bomb was fired by suspected Kuki militants and exploded at a residence in Moirang Tronglaobi village at around 1 a.m.
The blast killed a five-year-old boy and a five-month-old girl on the spot. The children’s mother, who was also inside the house at the time of the explosion, suffered injuries. All three were reportedly asleep when the bomb struck, causing significant damage to parts of the house. Moirang Tronglaobi is located near the mountainous Churachandpur district, which is inhabited by Kuki-Zo communities.
The area has witnessed repeated incidents of gunfire during the peak of ethnic violence in 2023 and 2024. The locality has long been considered vulnerable due to its proximity to hill positions reportedly occupied by armed Kuki militant groups. Residents said that bombs fired from surrounding hill slopes have landed inside the village, suggesting that the firing positions may be located more than three kilometres away. Following the incident, angry residents blocked roads and set three trucks carrying goods on fire towards the Churachandpur district, further escalating tensions in the region. The situation in Bishnupur and other valley districts remains highly tense.
A large contingent of security forces, led by senior police officials, has rushed to the area and launched combing operations to apprehend those responsible for the attack. Meanwhile, local BJP MLA Shanti Singh strongly condemned the “brutal attack” at Moirang Tronglaobi village, alleging the involvement of “Kuki narco-terrorists”. “This heinous act is nothing less than an act of terrorism. Such inhuman acts have no place in our society and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he said.
IANS
