Two bomb blasts in Imphal

Two powerful bomb blasts on Saturday rocked Imphal ahead of the Republic Day celebration.

One bomb was detonated at 7:30 a.m. by a remote-controlled device at the bridge at Meino Leirak. One parked passenger bus was partially damaged. However there was no human casualty.

The second blast occurred at 10 a.m. at Yaiskul only a few metres away from the police headquarters, other vital installations and the office of the Chief Minister. There was a crater measuring 4 ft in diameter at the spot.

Bomb blasts have been occurring almost daily after the proscribed underground organisations in Manipur announced boycotting of the Republic Day celebrations. These outfits have also called general strikes of various durations. Security has been beefed up in all the insurgency-afflicted States in the Northeast to ensure that there is no law and order problem. Only passengers with valid air tickets are allowed inside the inner circles of the airports in the region since there is intelligence input that some insurgents may hijack planes.