Woman sweeper suffers minor injuries as...Twin blasts near Raj Bhawan rock Imphal
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 15 2018: A twin bomb blast ripped through the heart of Imphal City in between 6 pm and 6.20 pm today, one at M Sector Defense PRO office and another along the road side of Johnstone Higher Secondary School, a stone throw away from Raj Bhavan.

The blast took place in one of the highest security zones of the State and at a time when the State police are taking up preventive measures for the coming Republic Day celebration by conducting numerous cordon and search operations at different parts of Imphal city as well as the districts of the State day and night.

According to information from the spot, the first blast occurred inside M Sector Army Defense PRO Office when an unidentified individual, suspected to be a UG militant, allegedly hurled a hand grenade inside the M Sector from the southern side of Johnstone School.

No one was injured in the blast as the hand grenade allegedly exploded in between the CSD canteen and the PRO quarter.

Woman sweeper suffers minor injuries as...Twin blasts near Raj Bhawan rock Imphal

Soon after the blast, a team of Imphal West police rushed to the spot.

The Army personnel staying inside the Sector also came out and investigated the surrounding area using sniffer dogs and metal detectors.

While the police and Army personnel were busy clearing the heavy traffic and the nearby parked vehicles, another powerful blast (suspected to be a remote controlled IED) took place some 50 metres away from the spot, after a gap of around 20 minutes from the first blast.

One woman identified as Yendrembam Sobita (50) w/o Y Ingo of Langthabal Mantrikhong Awang Leikai, who is engaged as a sweeper of Imphal Municipal Corporation, sustained minor injuries on her left leg due to the blast and was rushed to Raj Medicity for treatment in a police vehicle.

The IED is suspected to have been planted above the road side iron fence around the trees.

The blast destroyed the upper portion of the fence, obliterated the upper half of the tree and partly damaged some of the retaining walls of Johnstone Higher Secondary School as well the vehicle of Imphal West commando in-charge of bazaar unit.

Soon after the second blast, the police team cordoned off the blast site and prevented people from going near the area before the State bomb expert team arrived.

All major roads of Thangal Keithel and Paona Keithel were sealed off by the police and all vehicles and individuals coming out from the area were thoroughly checked and verified.

Imphal West Senior SP, Themthing Ngasangva and other high ranking officers of the State police, CO of 6th Assam Rifles as well as other officers of the Assam Rifles and Army personnel also arrived at the spot.

According to the sweepers working with the injured woman, the two blasts occurred after a gap of around 20 minutes in between.

One of the sweepers stated that they heard the sound of the first blast inside M Sector.

She pointed out that when the security personnel cleared the nearby surrounding area after the blast, the sweepers resumed their work of sweeping the road when the second blast occurred.

She also added that the blast could have led to major casualties if it had occurred when the place was crowded.

A case has been registered at City police regarding the incident.