Powerful bomb rocks MG Avenue
UGs attack Minister Parijat's residence with lethode bomb
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 22 2011:
A powerful bomb rocked the tightly protected MG Avenue area of Thangal Bazar tonight.
The bomb went off on the southern side of the triangular fencing wall around the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
No damage was caused to the statue by the blast that took place around 8.30 pm underneath the iron fencing.
There were no human casualties as a result of the blast.
The blast site is just over 200 meter away on the northwestern side of the City PS and in the surrounding there are bank branches of SBI, UBI, Central Bank, Vijaya Bank and Imphal Urban Co-operative Bank where security forces are detailed round the clock.
On the southern side of the blast site, the office of Manipur Golden Travels (MGT) is located.
It could not be immediately confirmed whether the bomb targeted the statue of Mahatma Gandhi or the travel agency which have been under threat from a KCP group.
A pillar of the iron fencing was uprooted by the impact of the blast.
The bomb was so powerful that stone chips sprayed out by the impact smashed the window pane of the MGT and the SBI office on the northern side of MG Avenue.
Power lines and cables stretch were cut by the impact of the blast.
As soon as the bomb went off, top officials of the police and personnel of the city police rushed to the spot and investigated into the blast.
A team of state bomb detection and disposal squad also conducted a thorough search in the surrounding areas using metal detectors, but no other bombs were detected.
Police suspect the bomb was triggered by remote control.
Splinters of the bomb were collected by the police for further investigation.
Meanwhile, suspected UGs attacked the residence of Agriculture minister, Ph Parijat at Nongada under Lamlai PS using a lethode bomb tonight around 7 pm.
The lethode bomb missed the target exploded after falling into a pond on the northern side of the minister's residence.
On getting the news, minister Parijat who was at the government quarters immediately proceeded to his residence.
Police conducted a search operation but, there were no reports of arrests.