5 including student hurt in Imphal blast, another blast rocks Thoubal
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal/Thoubal, November 07 2012: At least five persons including a student and two civilians were hurt in a blast today at Ghari, near Imphal Airport while another blast was triggered in Thoubal district.

Official source said an explosive planted at a road meridian, went off at Ghari Makha Leikai near Tulihal Airport, along Imphal-Churachandpur road today around 9.30am. The blast site is located in between a police outpost at Kwakeithel and 18 Sikh Light Infantry post at Airport premises.

Besides, the area is frequently patrolled by Assam Rifles personnel for area domination exercise.

The incident occurred when a long line of Army vehicles moving towards Imphal passed through the area.

The two army personnel suffered injury when the windshield of the vehicle they were travelling in was shattered by the impact of the blast.

Maintaining that the two jawans received minor injury, the source said the jawans were not injured directly by the splinter but by the shattering windshield of the vehicle.

Driver of a Maruti Van (MN-01W-8742) heading towards Moirang side also sustained injury while the windshield of the vehicle was badly damaged.

The van with the broken windscreen and inset the site of the Tbl blast

The Van is said to belong to one Mutum Yaima of Sagolband Salam Leikai while the injured driver is identified as Ningthoujam Dilip (33) of Airport Colony.

He received injury at the leg and is treated at Shija Hospitals.

A class-XI (Sc) student of COMET, identified as Pukhshangbam Rohen (16) of Nambol Pukhrambam Mayai Leikai has been wounded at the neck while Th Shanti Devi (52) of Kumbi Setupur, who just stepped down from a Kumbi-Imphal bus before the blast, sustained hip injury.

Both of them were treated at RIMS Hospitals.

A combined team of security forces combed the area after the incident though no arrest has been made in connection with the incident.

Significantly, this is the third such blasts that occurred in the area in recent time.

An officer of the 18 Sikh Light Infantry said the area was patrolled and cleared by a team of the Army unit this morning.

He said that the explosive might have been planted and exploded late in the morning.

The officer further ruled the possibility of triggering the blast with the help of a remote-controlled device.

Several UG groups had earlier announced to launch attack on security forces.

Meanwhile, an IED exploded this morning around 10.40 near Slopeland Public School, Khongjom Langthabal along NH-2 (Imphal-Moreh stretch) while another IED was found planted earlier in the morning near Wangbal Junior High School along the same route in Thoubal district.

The explosion, however, did not cause any casualty.

SDPO of Kakching, A Ghanashyam Sharma reached the spot moment after the blast.

Earlier in the morning around 6.30, an ROP team of 15 AR posted at Khongjom came across an explosive fitted with a timer near Wangbal Jr HS.

The explosive was later retrieved by Bomb Disposal squad of the State police.

Two bomb slots, two special electric detonators, a stopwatch, and splinters were recovered from the spot.

It may be mentioned that an IED was found planted in Wangjing area along the highway on November 3 while an IED attack was launched on an AR convoy at Wangjing-Khongjom junction.