4 min readImphalApr 22, 2026 10:45 PM IST
First published on: Apr 7, 2026 at 01:48 PM IST
Violence gripped Manipur’s Bishnupur on Tuesday after a four-year-old boy and his newborn sister were killed in their sleep when a rocket-like projectile struck their home in the district early Tuesday morning. This sparked intense protests, during which two civilians were killed, officials said.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said that a massive operation is underway to nab those responsible for the attack that killed the two children, telling reporters that security forces have been instructed to “hunt them down dead or alive” on Tuesday itself.
Khemchand said that the government has decided to hand over the case to the National Investigation Agency, and asserted that they suspect that a “group or individual who wants to destabilise the peace process in the state when we have made substantial headway” is behind the attack.
The state government has temporarily suspended internet in five valley districts – Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur – for three days to maintain law and order.
The early-morning attack occurred in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, a village situated along the sensitive boundary between the Meitei-dominated valley and the Kuki-Zomi-dominated hills. The children’s mother, Oinam Binita, was critically injured in the blast and is currently being treated at a nearby hospital.
Oinam Bala, the victims’ grandmother, recounted the attack that took place around 1 am. “My daughter-in-law cried out for help. When I asked what happened, she screamed that a bomb had exploded inside the room,” Bala said. “I couldn’t understand how a bomb could get inside. When I rushed in, the room was thick with smoke. I saw my two grandchildren soaked in blood. I panicked and could only yell for help.”
Binita, a nurse based in Guwahati, had returned to Manipur in January on maternity leave. Her husband, Oinam Mangalsana, is a soldier in the Border Security Force (BSF) currently posted in Bihar.
Later in the day, some residents of Tronglaobi abandoned their homes as a live rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shell was recovered a few metres away from the place where the attack took place.
As the news of the death of the minors spread, Bishnupur erupted in protests. Protesters attempted to storm a CRPF post located around 500 metres east of Tronglaobi, expressing agitation over their “inability” to prevent such an attack. Many took to the streets, enforcing blockades by burning tyres. A mob also set ablaze three trucks, including two oil tankers.
According to officials, CRPF personnel were forced to fire against those trying to storm the post. Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam confirmed that two civilians were killed while trying to storm the CRPF post, while three have sustained bullet injuries and are receiving treatment.
Protesters also blocked the Moirang police station by piling up burning logs at the gate. The protest escalated in Imphal, with many people blocking roads, burning tyres, and disrupting traffic. All business establishments remained closed.
Located at the periphery of Bishnupur near the Churachandpur district border, Tronglaobi has frequently witnessed similar violence since ethnic tension broke out in the state on May 3, 2023. However, this current conflagration is the first major escalation in the conflict since the formation of a new popular government under Khemchand in February this year.
In the evening, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi posted on X, “The news of the murder of two tiny children sleeping in the home of a BSF jawan in Manipur is heart-wrenching. In Manipur, even three years later, innocent children are still burning in the smouldering fire of violence – no sign of peace is visible on the horizon. The Modi government has become so desensitised and stone-hearted that it seems to have forgotten that Manipur’s children are also the nation’s children, our future.”
Protesters blocked the Moirang police station by piling up burning logs at the gate (Express photo). 
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