Serial blasts rock Saiton in Bpr dist, 2 hurt

Our Correspondent
MOIRANG, Jan 5: Targeting Meitei houses, suspected Kuki militants triggered a series of bomb blasts at Saiton Nganukon, Bishnupur district this morning, injuring two including a woman.
At first two bombs exploded in quick succession at an abandoned house of one Mani at Nganukon Ward No 8 at around 5.41 am.
Notably, Nganukon Ward No 8 and adjoining areas are being guarded by Central security forces.
After the explosions, villagers went to the particular house to check the extent of damage.
As the villagers came out after inspecting the damage, two other bombs went off and injured two civilians.
The two victims injured by bomb splinters have been identified as Nongthombam Indubala Devi (37) and Soibam Sanatomba (51), both from Saiton Maning Leikai.
Both of them are currently undergoing treatment at JNIMS Hospital.
Aggrieved by the ineffectiveness of the Central forces deployed in the area to check and deter such terrorist attacks, a large number of people dismantled CRPF bunkers built on the bridge which connects Saiton and Nganukon.
The aggrieved people also appealed for replacement of the CRPF company  with either IRB/State force or village volunteers.
In response, Kumbi AC MLA Sanasam Premchandra    assured that State forces would be deployed in the area.
According to information culled from the spot, the villagers enquired the personnel of 71 Bn CRPF deployed at Nganukon when the first two bombs exploded at around 5.41 am but the CRPF personnel maintained that it were the sounds of firecrackers.
As the villagers were convinced that the explosion sounded more like bomb, not firecrackers, they went in and inspected the blast site.
Coming back from the blast site, the villagers were engaged in a verbal confrontation with the CRPF personnel not far away from the blast site when two more bombs exploded in quick succession at around 8.50 am and the blasts injured two villagers.
Former Pradhan (Saiton GP) M Ibomcha said that the first two bombs were planted inside the abandoned house   of Salam Mani with an intention to destroy it completely.
He said that troops of 71 Bn CRPF are deployed in the Saiton Nganukon area while troops of 2 Mahar Regiment are stationed at Saiden village on the other side.
For two years and eight months, security forces have been prohibiting Meiteis from going to Nganukon by blocking the bridge connecting Saiton with Nganukon, Ibomcha said.
He said that the site where the first two bombs exploded is just around 300 metres away from the place where CRPF troops are stationed. The last two bombs exploded just 150-200 metres away from the CRPF troops.
He then questioned how the bombs were planted and triggered when Central security forces were deployed quite close and on both sides.
He also recalled the attack of December 16, 2025 where suspected Kuki militants rained bullets and bombs at Torbung, targeting returning IDPs.
He appealed to the higher authorities to carry out a thorough investigation and pull up all the terrorists involved in planting and triggering the bombs at the earliest.
Later, a team of the Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation Manipur (IPOM) and eight other organisations working together with them visited the blast sites.
IPOM vice-president Kh Chandramani who led the team vehemently condemned the bomb blasts.
He expressed strong suspicion that the bomb blasts were planned to create a law and order situation and prolong the President's Rule administration.
Saying that people have lost all faith in the Central security forces, Chandramani asserted that people have more trust in State forces and village volunteers.
Strongly condemning serial blasts, shops and markets of Moirang Bazar, Moirang Lamkhai and adjoining areas were closed for the day.