Suspected militant(s) hurled hand grenade at Raj Bhavan in Imphal

Suspected militant(s) hurled a hand grenade at Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Tuesday amid the enhancement of security measures in Manipur ahead of the Republic Day celebration.

Police reports said that suspected militant(s) lobbed a hand grenade at the main entrance gate of the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday evening, around 4.15 pm. The hand grenade that failed to explode was later recovered by the police after personnel of the Manipur police bomb detection and disposal squad defused the same, around 5 pm.

Top ranking officers of the state police immediately rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation on learning the incident. Police were yet to know whether the suspect(s) lobbed the hand grenade targeting the security force guarding the Raj Bhavan.

The Raj Bhavan is being guarded by CRPF personnel round the clock. 

The hand grenade attack was launched at a time while security forces are stepping up measures across the state ahead of the Republic Day celebration. Security has been beefed up in Manipur, particularly in the twin capital districts and other valley districts ahead of Republic Day celebration. Besides conducting random frisking and checking operations at all routes leading to Imphal, combing operations to flush out underground elements have been conducted in sensitive areas in the valley areas since the last few days.

As part of its intensified security measures, mopping operations were conducted at various parts of Imphal and its outskirts by the police commandos in the past few days. There were no reports of rounding up any suspects during today’s operation. 

In the continued mopping operations, Imphal East police commandos conducted a search operation at Mahabai Kabui Khul on Tuesday morning. During the operation, the police commandos searched around 50 houses and verified members of the houses.

Imphal West police commandos also conducted cordon and search operations at various localities of the district. In one such operation at Haobam Marak and Irom Leikai under Singjamei police, the police commandos raided around 150 houses and verified around 170 people, the police said.

In Thoubal district too, the police commandos conducted a cordon and search operation at villages at Charangpat under Thoubal police station. They conducted search operations in around 150 houses and verified around 400 people of ages ranging from 15 to 60 by parading them at public grounds of the respective villages.

An official source said that the security measures have been beefed up as insurgent groups are likely to carry out disruptive activities on or before the Republic Day.

In Manipur, militant groups have been boycotting Republic Day. 

NNN