Serial blasts shatter R-Day security blanket

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AR major and a jawan injured in RPF’s attack in Chandel

IMPHAL, January 27: The state woke up to several explosions on Republic Day morning, as militants triggered IEDs at different locations.

An officer and a jawan of the 21 Assam Rifles A Coy were injured when UG cadres triggered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device on Sunday around 9.30 am in Chandel. The two injured Assam Rifles personnel were evacuated in a helicopter to the military hospital at LeimaKhong.                            

According to a reliable source, the incident happened when suspected PLA cadres triggered a powerful Improvised Explosive device (IED) while the 21 Assam Rifles A Coy personnel were on a road opening patrol (ROP) at Aicee Village, under Molcham Police Station, 40 Kilometer off Chakpikarong, Chandel leaving one officer and riflemen injured.   

The two injured identified as Major Boss and riflemen N R Choudhary were soon excavated from the spot by a helicopter to Leimakhong military hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, despite the tight security arrangement by the District Police in and around Imphal, underground militants triggered four low intensity Improvised explosive (IED) device after a gap of one hour each from 8 to 11 am at four different areas of Imphal West.

The first blast occurred around 8 am on the western side of the Imphal River bank between a retaining wall and the riverbank on the eastern side of the deputy commissioner official residence and Th Devendro, Minister of forest, revenue, law and legislative at Babupara some 400 meters away from the Republic Day Parade starting point of 1st Manipur Rifle ground just a few minute after the Republic day celebration started.

During the blast, a two feet deep and wide fissure was made by the impact of the bomb. Soon after the blast, the state bomb expert team arrived on the scene and examined the area during the course which a similar kind of low intensity IED blast occurred after a gap of an hour around 9 am in the western side of the Imphal River bank at (YAC) Range ground creating a similar kind of fissure on the riverbank.

L Kailun, IG Range One, inspected the site of the blast. The third explosion took place after a gap of another hour around 10 am some 25 feet above the Cheiraoching reserved forest range located on the western side of the Sangakpham bazaar under Lamphel Police Station in Imphal West. The blast created a four feet deep and 4 feet wide crater in the area. Later when a team of state bomb experts arrived and thoroughly checked the spot some splinters of the Bomb was found.

Around 11 am, another low intensity blast on the southern side of the 40 Assam Rifle Chingamakhong Post in the road between Pishumthong and Singjamei, some 50 meters away from the Manipur College.

But there is no report of any human casualty. Soon after the blast, personnel of the 40 Assam Rifle Chingmakhong Post along with the police inspected the site of the blast. Later, a team of state bomb experts and DSP S Ibomcha inspected the site.

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