IMPHAL, November 17: At least three persons were injured in a grenade attack at a hardware shop in Minuthong Hatta, under the Porompat police station of Imphal East district today.
Police said, unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade at a hardware shop in Hatta, New Checkon Road today at around 1:25 pm, despite heavy patrol activities by Imphal East District police in the area.
The grenade exploded inside the shop leaving three persons including the shop owner injured.
The name of shop where the bomb attack was carried out is M/S Sudhir Iron Industries. The shop is run by one Sikander Shah, 37, of Kalibari in Bihar and the landowner of the shop is identified as Md Mangi.
The other two injured persons have been identified as Lakshmi Sahani, 27, of Bihar and presently staying at Majorkhul since yesterday only and Athokpam Babudhon, 56, of Keishamthong Thangjam Leirak. The two works as a salesman at the shop.
Lakshmi Sahani received minor injury on the left side of his stomach, Sikander Shah received minor injury near his knee portion and Babudhon too received only minor injury on his legs.
They were rushed to a nearby public hospital for first aid by the people who were present at the time of explosion.
A large number of police personnel from Imphal East District police including officers conducted an investigation at the blast site and even though the shop owner did not reveal anything in regard, the attack was suspected to have been carried out by an UG group in retaliation of the failure to pay their monetary demand by the shop owner.
Meanwhile, a fake IED bomb planted at a road side at Aihang in Thoubal District under Waikhong Police Station today created panic among the people of the area. The fake bomb was detected at around 5:85 am.
Police and AR personal posted in the area stop vehicular movement on the road and moved towards the bomb to defuse it, but it was found that it was only a fake bomb with wires connected to some batteries.
According to police sources, suspected underground militants attacked security forces at two locations in the last twenty four hources. However, no security force personnel was injured.
After the attack carried out by suspected militants at an Assam Rifles convoy at Thoubal Haokha by exploding an IED bomb yesterday morning at around 9 am, another bomb attack was again carried out by suspected militants at an Assam Rifles convoy today morning by planting an IED bomb at a roadside located on the way to Keithelmanbi in Ukhrul District and which is only 10 km away towards north east from Yairipok Police Station.
The bomb exploded right after an Assam Riffles convoy of Assam Rifles Keithelmanbi Post passed the area. The bomb which was planted by suspected militants is said to be an Improvised Explosive Device and it was triggered using a remote control device.
After hearing the news, a team from Yairipok Police Station led by its Officer-in-charge, Inspector Ranbir inspected the blast site and found that a big hole was created by the explosion but as the explosion occurred right after the AR convoy passed the area, no casualties were reported. With regard to the incident a case has been registered at Yairipok Police Station.