Imphal: Amid enhanced security measures being taken up in connection with visits of VVIPs in Manipur, a powerful bomb expected to be that of an IED exploded at a godown in the heart of Imphal early this morning. No casualty was reported in the explosion which was triggered by suspected militants at the gate of a grocery godown at Telipati under Porompat police station of Imphal East district around 3:40 am.
The impact of the blast shattered the GI sheet main entrance gate of the godown owned by one Ramnath Sahu.
Footage of the CCTV installed near the godown showed that a masked man who came on a scooter deposited the bomb at the gate of the godown. The bomb went off no sooner had the masked man left the place.
Meanwhile, no militant group has owned up the blast till the time of filing this report. Police who rushed to the spot soon after the blast suspected that it was an IED.
The powerful explosion took place at a time when security measures have been enhanced for the proposed visits of VVIPs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state. The Prime Minister is likely to pay a one-day visit in the state on January 4. Before his proposed visit, some Union ministers are also scheduled to arrive in Imphal in the next few days. BJP’s national president JP Nadda is also scheduled to arrive in Imphal tomorrow (December 30).
Ahead of the scheduled visits of the VVIP and VIPs, Manipur police personnel have been taking up security measures across Imphal and its outskirts. Besides intensified random frisking and checking in almost all the roads leading to the city, the state police commandos are conducting mopping operations at various sensitive areas of the city in the last few days.
Continuing the operation, a team of police commandos today conducted a cordon and search operation at Keishamthong and Keishampat areas. Besides raiding houses, the police commandos also verified residents including those staying at the rented houses. A police source said that over 200 people were verified. Among them nine bailed out cadres of different underground groups were also verified. There were no reports of picking up any suspect during the operation.
NNN