In suspected IED blast, 3 injured in Manipur, fresh firing continues

Bystanders reported that they had observed a driver leaving the vehicle before the blast and that no one else was inside it.

Three people injured in the incident have been taken to Bishnupur district hospital.

There were also incidents of firing close to midnight on Tuesday night, near Sugnu, while there was fresh firing in Kangpokpi district on Wednesday evening.

An exchange of fire between unknown gunmen and Assam Rifles team was also reported at North Boljang in Manipur’s Imphal West district at 5 am on Thursday, PTI reported. The situation has been brought under control and search operations for the gunmen are on.

Shots of automatic small arms were also heard near Urangpat, North of YKPI in Imphal East district, on Wednesday in 5.45 in the evening. There were reports of unprovoked firing by unidentified gunmen from two directions towards Harothel around 5.30pm.

These incidents continue to take place 50 days after violence began in the state on May 3, even as internet services continue to be suspended.

The incident came hours before the Home Ministry announced that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will convene an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in the state which has been roiled by ethnic clashes
that have claimed more than 110 lives and hardened ethnic fault-lines.

In a Twitter post Wednesday evening, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs said: “Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur.”