Imphal, May 18 2010: A suspected militant was killed when the bomb he was trying to fit to blow up a bridge located between Kangpokpi and Senapati on the stretch of the Imphal-Mao section of the NH 39 went off last night, police said today.

The slain youth was identified as Dony (25), son of Panichung Anal of Liwa Sarei village of Chandel district, as indicated by a voter's identity card found in his possession.

His head and his right hand had been completely blown off from the shoulders.

Police suspect the dead youth to be a cadre of NSCN (IM).

The incident took place underneath the bridge located between Kangpokpi and Senapati last night, at about 12.15 am.

Police recovered a ladder, torch light and voter's identity card from the spot where the dead body was recovered.

He might have died when the bomb he was trying to fit to to the bridge to blow it up on a river on the stretch of the highway went off accidentally, police estimated.

Reports said that a loud sound of blast of an explosive was heard last night at about 12.15 am near the bridge.

But it was only today morning that the badly mutilated dead body with the ladder nearby was found underneath the bridge.

Police retrieved the dead body and transferred it to RIMS morgue, Imphal where the family members turned up to take back the dead body.

He has been missing since he left home on May 2, the family members said.

He is survived by his wife and three daughters, they said.

The attempt to blow up the bridge came amidst the total blockade of interstate vehicles passing through Nagaland on the NH-39 for over a mongth due to the indefinite economic blockade coupled with the stand-off at Mao gate.

Even though normal Imphal to Mao gate passenger service resumed from yesterday, plying of interstate vehicles is yet to resume as the economic blockade called by ANSAM, UNC and other frontal organisations of NSCN-IM in protest against the holding of ADC election and the ban on vehciles of Manipur in Nagaland by the NSF are still continuing.